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Related Concept Videos

siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs02:30

siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs

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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...
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Experimental RNAi02:15

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RNA interference (RNAi) is a cellular mechanism that inhibits gene expression by suppressing its transcription or activating the RNA degradation process. The mechanism was discovered by Andrew Fire and Craig Mello in 1998 in plants. Today, it is observed in almost all eukaryotes, including protozoa, flies, nematodes, insects, parasites, and mammals. This precise cellular mechanism of gene silencing has been developed into a technique that provides an efficient way to identify and determine the...
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RNA Interference01:23

RNA Interference

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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.
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MicroRNAs01:22

MicroRNAs

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MicroRNA (miRNA) are short, regulatory RNA transcribed from introns (non-coding regions of a gene) or intergenic regions (stretches of DNA present between genes). Several processing steps are required to form biologically active, mature miRNA. The initial transcript, called primary miRNA (pri-mRNA), base-pairs with itself, forming a stem-loop structure. Within the nucleus, an endonuclease enzyme, called Drosha, shortens the stem-loop structure into hairpin-shaped pre-miRNA. After the pre-miRNA...
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piRNA - Piwi-interacting RNAs02:57

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PIWI-interacting RNAs, or piRNAs, are the most abundant short non-coding RNAs. More than 20,000 genes have been found in humans that code for piRNAs while only 2000 genes have been found for miRNAs. piRNAs can act at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels and have a vital role in silencing transposable elements present in germ cells. They are also involved in epigenetic silencing and activation. Previously, they were thought to function only in germ cells but new evidence suggests...
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Intact DNA strands can be found in fossils, while scientists sometimes struggle to keep RNA intact under laboratory conditions. The structural variations between RNA and DNA underlie the differences in their stability and longevity. Because DNA is double-stranded, it is inherently more stable. The single-stranded structure of RNA is less stable but also more flexible and can form weak internal bonds. Additionally, most RNAs in the cell are relatively short, while DNA can be up to 250 million...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2025

Screening and Identification of RNA Silencing Suppressors from Secreted Effectors of Plant Pathogens
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Evidence for multiple forms of heritable RNA silencing.

Mary S Chey1, Pravrutha Raman1, Farida Ettefa1

  • 1Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742.

Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|May 15, 2024
PubMed
Summary

Heritable gene silencing in C. elegans can occur through multiple RNA-mediated pathways. Distinct molecular signatures, or "pUG signatures," help differentiate these epigenetic silencing mechanisms.

Keywords:
epigeneticsgene regulationheredityoperonpoly-UG RNAstransgenerational gene silencing

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Epigenetics
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Heritable gene silencing is crucial for development and is mediated by DNA methylation, histone modifications, or non-coding RNAs.
  • The specific RNA-mediated mechanisms underlying heritable gene silencing are not fully understood across different organisms.

Conclusions:

  • Multiple RNA-mediated pathways contribute to heritable gene silencing.
  • pUG signatures serve as reliable indicators to distinguish diverse RNA silencing mechanisms.
  • These findings offer a new framework for understanding epigenetic inheritance via RNA.