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Updated: May 31, 2026
09:57
Rearing and Double-stranded RNA-mediated Gene Knockdown in the Hide Beetle, Dermestes maculatus
Published on: December 28, 2016
Targeting genes in living mammals by RNA interference
Katerina Podolska1, Petr Svoboda
1Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Videnska, Prague, Czech Republic.
Briefings in Functional Genomics
|July 9, 2011
Summary
RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful gene silencing tool. This review covers RNAi strategies for use in living mammals, including transgenic methods and direct delivery approaches.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Biotechnology
Background:
- RNA interference (RNAi) is a conserved eukaryotic mechanism for sequence-specific mRNA degradation.
- Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) triggers RNAi, leading to gene silencing.
- RNAi has become a widely adopted technique for gene expression control in various model systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review RNAi-based tools for gene silencing in living mammals.
- To summarize both germline-transmitted transgenic RNAi strategies and direct delivery methods for adult animals.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on RNAi applications in mammals.
- Categorization of RNAi strategies into transgenic and direct delivery approaches.
Main Results:
- Transgenic RNAi involves germline transmission of RNAi-triggering transgenes.
- Direct delivery approaches involve introducing RNAi triggers into adult animals.
- Both strategies enable controlled down-regulation of gene expression in mammals.
Conclusions:
- RNAi offers versatile tools for gene silencing in mammalian systems.
- Advancements in RNAi technology facilitate applications in research and potentially therapeutics.
- This review provides a comprehensive overview of current RNAi strategies for mammalian gene silencing.
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