Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs

siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs

Small interfering RNAs, or siRNAs, are short regulatory RNA molecules that can silence genes post-transcriptionally, as well as the transcriptional level in some cases. siRNAs are important for protecting cells against viral infections and silencing transposable genetic elements.
In the cytoplasm, siRNA is processed from a double-stranded RNA, which comes from either endogenous DNA transcription or exogenous sources like a virus. This double-stranded RNA is then cleaved by the ATP-dependent...

RNA Interference

RNA Interference

RNA interference (RNAi) is a process in which a small non-coding RNA molecule blocks the post-transcriptional expression of a gene by binding to its messenger RNA (mRNA) and preventing the protein from being translated.
This process occurs naturally in cells, often through the activity of genomically-encoded microRNAs. Researchers can take advantage of this mechanism by introducing synthetic RNAs to deactivate specific genes for research or therapeutic purposes. For example, RNAi could be used...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

SBiRM 2026.

Systems biology in reproductive medicine·2026

Same author

Vitamin D binding protein and reproductive outcomes.

Fertility and sterility·2025

Same author

Systematic review and evidence-based classification of differentially expressed mRNA in human spermatozoa: insights to improve the diagnosis and prognosis of male infertility.

Reproductive biomedicine online·2025

Same author

The Utility of Sperm DNA Fragmentation as a Diagnostic Tool for Male Infertility and Its Predictive Value for Assisted Reproductive Technology Outcomes.

International journal of molecular sciences·2025

Same author

Normal embryo development needs MEIG1-mediated sperm formation.

FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology·2025

Same author

SBiRM: future innovation and practice in Personalized and Precision Reproductive Medicine.

Systems biology in reproductive medicine·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 18, 2026

Isolation of Small Noncoding RNAs from Human Serum

Isolation of Small Noncoding RNAs from Human Serum

Published on: June 19, 2014

Isolating mRNA and small noncoding RNAs from human sperm.

Robert J Goodrich¹, Ester Anton, Stephen A Krawetz

¹Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, C. S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)

|September 21, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Isolating RNA from sperm is difficult due to cell variety and low yields. This study presents an automated protocol for messenger RNA (mRNA) and small noncoding RNA (sncRNA) isolation, improving consistency and purity.

More Related Videos

An Oligonucleotide-based Tandem RNA Isolation Procedure to Recover Eukaryotic mRNA-Protein Complexes

An Oligonucleotide-based Tandem RNA Isolation Procedure to Recover Eukaryotic mRNA-Protein Complexes

Published on: August 18, 2018

Isolation of mRNAs Associated with Yeast Mitochondria to Study Mechanisms of Localized Translation

Isolation of mRNAs Associated with Yeast Mitochondria to Study Mechanisms of Localized Translation

Published on: March 14, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 18, 2026

Isolation of Small Noncoding RNAs from Human Serum

Isolation of Small Noncoding RNAs from Human Serum

Published on: June 19, 2014

An Oligonucleotide-based Tandem RNA Isolation Procedure to Recover Eukaryotic mRNA-Protein Complexes

An Oligonucleotide-based Tandem RNA Isolation Procedure to Recover Eukaryotic mRNA-Protein Complexes

Published on: August 18, 2018

Isolation of mRNAs Associated with Yeast Mitochondria to Study Mechanisms of Localized Translation

Isolation of mRNAs Associated with Yeast Mitochondria to Study Mechanisms of Localized Translation

Published on: March 14, 2014

Area of Science:

Reproductive Biology
Molecular Biology
Genomics

Background:

Spermatozoal RNA isolation is challenging due to heterogeneous cell populations and low RNA quantity.
Sperm transcriptomes contain diverse RNA types, including messenger RNAs (mRNAs), small noncoding RNAs (sncRNAs), and fragmented ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs).

Purpose of the Study:

To describe an automated protocol for isolating both mRNA and sncRNA fractions from sperm.
To develop a robust method for assessing the quality of isolated sperm RNA.

Main Methods:

Utilized a guanidinium thiocyanate-phenol-chloroform-based method to minimize DNA contamination.
Employed a column-based system for RNA purification, with both manual and semi-automated options.
Developed a novel quality control assay to evaluate mRNA integrity and purity.

Main Results:

The developed protocol enables the isolation of both mRNA and sncRNA fractions from sperm.
Automation is preferred for achieving consistent and reliable results.
A new quality control method effectively assesses the purity and integrity of isolated mRNAs, even with fragmented rRNAs.

Conclusions:

The described protocol offers an improved method for spermatozoal RNA isolation.
Automation enhances the reproducibility of sperm RNA extraction.
The novel quality control procedure is crucial for validating RNA yield and purity in sperm samples.