Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 17, 2026

Screening and Identification of RNA Silencing Suppressors from Secreted Effectors of Plant Pathogens
Published on: February 3, 2020
Host defense against DNA virus infection in shrimp is mediated by the siRNA pathway
1Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Animal Virology of Ministry of Agriculture and College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, The People's Republic of China.
Abstract:
The RNA interference (RNAi) system of eukaryotes using siRNAs has been documented as an immune response against invasion by RNA viruses. However, whether the siRNA pathway can be triggered by the infection with DNA viruses in animals remains to be investigated. In the present study, we show that Marsupenaeus japonicus shrimp can generate an antiviral siRNA (vp28-siRNA) in response to infection by a double-stranded DNA virus, white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). After challenging with WSSV, vp28-siRNA is detected in all the WSSV-infected organs and tissues of shrimp as early as 24 h postinfection (p.i.). The results indicate that the host Dicer2 and Ago2 proteins are required for the biogenesis and function of vp28-siRNA, respectively. We show further that vp28-siRNA predominates in the cytoplasm of shrimp hemocytes at 48 h p.i. Knockdown of Dicer2 by special siRNA or inhibition of vp28-siRNA with locked nucleic acid antisense oligonucleotides both lead to a significant increase in WSSV copy number at 24-48 h p.i. Our study highlights a novel aspect of the siRNA pathway in the immune response of animals against infection by DNA viruses.
Related Concept Videos
siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs
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
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...
RNA Interference
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...
Experimental RNAi
Inhibitors of Viral Protein Synthesis
Viruses with RNA Genomes

