RNA interference in adult mice

RNA interference is an evolutionarily conserved surveillance mechanism that responds to double-stranded RNA by sequence-specific silencing of homologous genes. Here we show that transgene expression can be suppressed in adult mice by synthetic small interfering RNAs and by small-hairpin RNAs transcribed in vivo from DNA templates. We also show the therapeutic potential of this technique by demonstrating effective targeting of a sequence from hepatitis C virus by RNA interference in vivo.     

RNAi的研究进展

RNAi(RNA interference)是近年来发现的在生物体内普遍存在的一种古老的生物学现象，是由dsRNA介导的由特定酶参与的特异性基因沉默现象，它在转录水平、转录后水平和翻译水平上阻断基因的表达。RNAi是真核生物体抵抗外源基因(如病毒基因、转座子、人工转入基因等)入侵的一种保护性反应，它还是生物体在不同时期通过调控基因表达来调节细胞分化的机制。RNAi已成为一种极为有用的使基因失活的工具应用于多方面的研究中。介绍了RNAi的发现、RNAi的机理、参与RNAi的酶、及其RNAi的应用等有关RNAi的研究进展。     

Environmental RNA interference in animals

Animals interact with their environments all the time, and must react to all kinds of factors present in the environments. Environmen- tal RNA interference refers to the phenomenon that exogenous RNA molecules can enter cells of certain animal species and inter- fere with gene expression of these animals. These exogenous RNAs may be molecules in animal food, or may be present in the living environment from other sources. Molecular pathways for the cell entry of environmental RNAs and further for their func- tionality in gene interference have started to be revealed in the animal model Caenorhabditis elegans. Here we highlight some known examples of environmental RNA interference （RNAi） in animals and introduce the molecular mechanisms underneath.     

RNA干涉研究进展

RNA干涉(RNAi)是生物体内的一种通过双链RNA(dsRNA)来抵抗病毒入侵和抑制转座 子活动的自然机制.快速发展的RNAi技术为抑制特异性基因的表达提供了有利的工具.到目前为 止,在真菌、拟南芥、线虫、锥虫、水螅、涡虫、果蝇、斑马鱼、小鼠等真核生物中都发现存在基因沉默 机制.RNAi作为基因沉默的工具,为基因功能研究、基因治疗、药物研究与开发等许多领域开辟了 一条新路.     

RNA干涉研究进展

RNA干涉(RNAi)是由双链RNA(dsRNA)引起的序列特异性基因沉默,这是目前研究的热点,具有广阔的应用前景.对RNAi的分子机制、生物功能、研究策略及RNAi技术在基因功能、基因治疗、植物品质改良等方面的应用进行了综述.     

RNAi技术研究进展

RNAi是由双链RNA引起的基因沉默现象,它通过降解具有同源序列的mRNA起作用,特殊设计的siRNA能使目的基因发生特异性沉默．目前,获得siRNA已经非常方便,导入方式最常用的是微注射．RNAi技术有编码区RNAi和启动子区RNAi两大类,均可以产生类似基因敲除的功能。在家蚕功能基因的研究中已经使用了这种方法．随着RNAi技术的不断进步,RNAi可广泛地应用到功能基因组学,药物靶点筛选,疾病治疗等方面．     

Unlocking the potential of the human genome with RNA interference

The discovery of RNA interference (RNAi) may well be one of the transforming events in biology in the past decade. RNAi can result in gene silencing or even in the expulsion of sequences from the genome. Harnessed as an experimental tool, RNAi has revolutionized approaches to decoding gene function. It also has the potential to be exploited therapeutically, and clinical trials to test this possibility are already being planned.