A micrococcal nuclease homologue in RNAi effector complexes

RNA interference (RNAi) regulates gene expression by the cleavage of messenger RNA, by mRNA degradation and by preventing protein synthesis. These effects are mediated by a ribonucleoprotein complex known as RISC (RNA-induced silencing complex). We have previously identified four Drosophila components (short interfering RNAs, Argonaute 2 (ref. 2), VIG and FXR) of a RISC enzyme that degrades specific mRNAs in response to a double-stranded-RNA trigger. Here we show that Tudor-SN (tudor staphylococcal nuclease)--a protein containing five staphylococcal/micrococcal nuclease domains and a tudor domain--is a component of the RISC enzyme in Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila and mammals. Although Tudor-SN contains non-canonical active-site sequences, we show that purified Tudor-SN exhibits nuclease activity similar to that of other staphylococcal nucleases. Notably, both purified Tudor-SN and RISC are inhibited by a specific competitive inhibitor of micrococcal nuclease. Tudor-SN is the first RISC subunit to be identified that contains a recognizable nuclease domain, and could therefore contribute to the RNA degradation observed in RNAi.     

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.     

Short interfering RNA confers intracellular antiviral immunity in human cells

Gene silencing mediated by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is a sequence-specific, highly conserved mechanism in eukaryotes. In plants, it serves as an antiviral defence mechanism. Animal cells also possess this machinery but its specific function is unclear. Here we demonstrate that dsRNA can effectively protect human cells against infection by a rapidly replicating and highly cytolytic RNA virus. Pre-treatment of human and mouse cells with double-stranded, short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to the poliovirus genome markedly reduces the titre of virus progeny and promotes clearance of the virus from most of the infected cells. The antiviral effect is sequence-specific and is not attributable to either classical antisense mechanisms or to interferon and the interferon response effectors protein kinase R (PKR) and RNaseL. Protection is the result of direct targeting of the viral genome by siRNA, as sequence analysis of escape virus (resistant to siRNAs) reveals one nucleotide substitution in the middle of the targeted sequence. Thus, siRNAs elicit specific intracellular antiviral resistance that may provide a therapeutic strategy against human viruses.     

RNA interference-mediated inhibition of Hepatitis B Virus replication

Persistent and recurrent infection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) represents one of the most common and severe viral infections of humans, and has caused a formidable health problem in the affected countries. Currently used antiviral drugs have a very limited success on controlling HBV replication and infection. RNA interference (RNAi), a process by which double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) directs sequence-specific degradation of target mRNA in mammalian and plant cells, has recently been used to knockdown gene expression in various species. In this study, we sought to determine whether RNAi-mediated silencing of HBV viral gene expression could lead to the effective inhibition of HBV replication. We first developed RNAi vectors that expressed small interfering RNA (siRNA) and targeted the HBV core or surface gene sequence. Our results demonstrated that these specific siRNAs efficiently reduced the levels of corresponding viral RNAs and proteins, and thus suppressed viral replication. Treatment with siRNA gave the greatest reduction in the levels of HBsAg (92%) and in HBeAg (85%) respectively in the cultured cell medium. Our findings further demonstrated that the RNAi-mediated antiviral effect was sequence-specific and dose-dependent. Therefore, our findings strongly suggest that RNAi-mediated silencing of HBV viral genes could effectively inhibit the replication of HBV, hence RNAi-based strategy should be further explored as a more efficacious antiviral therapy of HBV infection.     

Structure and nucleic-acid binding of the Drosophila Argonaute 2 PAZ domain

RNA interference is a conserved mechanism that regulates gene expression in response to the presence of double-stranded (ds)RNAs. The RNase III-like enzyme Dicer first cleaves dsRNA into 21-23-nucleotide small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). In the effector step, the multimeric RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) identifies messenger RNAs homologous to the siRNAs and promotes their degradation. The Argonaute 2 protein (Ago2) is a critical component of RISC. Both Argonaute and Dicer family proteins contain a common PAZ domain whose function is unknown. Here we present the three-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance structure of the Drosophila melanogaster Ago2 PAZ domain. This domain adopts a nucleic-acid-binding fold that is stabilized by conserved hydrophobic residues. The nucleic-acid-binding patch is located in a cleft between the surface of a central beta-barrel and a conserved module comprising strands beta3, beta4 and helix alpha3. Because critical structural residues and the binding surface are conserved, we suggest that PAZ domains in all members of the Argonaute and Dicer families adopt a similar fold with nucleic-acid binding function, and that this plays an important part in gene silencing.     

Prevalence of off-target effects in Drosophila RNA interference screens

RNA interference (RNAi) in both plants and animals is mediated by small RNAs of approximately 21-23 nucleotides in length for regulation of target gene expression at multiple levels through partial sequence complementarities. Combined with widespread genome sequencing, experimental use of RNAi has the potential to interrogate systematically all genes in a given organism with respect to a particular function. However, owing to a tolerance for mismatches and gaps in base-pairing with targets, small RNAs could have up to hundreds of potential target sequences in a genome, and some small RNAs in mammalian systems have been shown to affect the levels of many messenger RNAs besides their intended targets. The use of long double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) in Drosophila, where Dicer-mediated processing produces small RNAs inside cells, has been thought to reduce the probability of such 'off-target effects' (OTEs). Here we show, however, that OTEs mediated by short homology stretches within long dsRNAs are prevalent in Drosophila. We have performed a genome-wide RNAi screen for novel components of Wingless (Wg) signal transduction in Drosophila S2R + cells, and found few, if any, legitimate candidates. Rather, many of the top candidates exert their effects on Wg response through OTEs on known pathway components or through promiscuous OTEs produced by tandem trinucleotide repeats present in many dsRNAs and genes. Genes containing such repeats are over-represented in candidate lists from published screens, suggesting that they represent a common class of false positives. Our results suggest simple measures to improve the reliability of genome-wide RNAi screens in Drosophila and other organisms.     

Recognition of small interfering RNA by a viral suppressor of RNA silencing

RNA silencing (also known as RNA interference) is a conserved biological response to double-stranded RNA that regulates gene expression, and has evolved in plants as a defence against viruses. The response is mediated by small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), which guide the sequence-specific degradation of cognate messenger RNAs. As a counter-defence, many viruses encode proteins that specifically inhibit the silencing machinery. The p19 protein from the tombusvirus is such a viral suppressor of RNA silencing and has been shown to bind specifically to siRNA. Here, we report the 1.85-A crystal structure of p19 bound to a 21-nucleotide siRNA, where the 19-base-pair RNA duplex is cradled within the concave face of a continuous eight-stranded beta-sheet, formed across the p19 homodimer interface. Direct and water-mediated intermolecular contacts are restricted to the backbone phosphates and sugar 2'-OH groups, consistent with sequence-independent p19-siRNA recognition. Two alpha-helical 'reading heads' project from opposite ends of the p19 homodimer and position pairs of tryptophans for stacking over the terminal base pairs, thereby measuring and bracketing both ends of the siRNA duplex. Our structure provides an illustration of siRNA sequestering by a viral protein.     

肝癌相关基因MEF2D反义RNA的鉴定及分析

鉴定和分析肝癌细胞中新的天然反义RNA MEF2D-AS根据已建立的双链RNA文库筛选与肝癌相关的反义RNA.通过RT-qPCR验证其反义RNA的存在,采用cDNA末端快速扩增技术获得其全长序列,并检测HepG2细胞经5-Aza-dC处理前后MEF2D基因正反义链表达量的变化.结果显示,成功鉴定出1条全长为1 265bp的新的天然反义RNA,并预测其属于长链非编码RNA(long non-coding RNA,简称为lncRNA),命名为MEF2D-AS.经5-Aza-dC处理后,MEF2D-AS的表达量升高,而MEF2DmRNA的表达量降低.证实了MEF2D-AS的存在并预测其属于长链非编码RNA,且与MEF2D正反义RNA是反相关关系.此研究结果可为进一步探讨肝癌发生机制提供参考.     

RNA干扰在肿瘤转移研究中的应用

RNA干扰是与特定基因同源互补的双链RNA在体内以序列特异的方式引发靶基因的mRNA降解,从而导致转录后基因沉默的过程。由于其在基因沉默中的高度特异性和有效性,在基因功能和基因药物的研究中有很大潜力。综述了RNA干扰可能的分子机制、分子生物特性和其在肿瘤特别是肿瘤转移中的应用。     

TGFβ1shRNA靶向抑制离体胎鼠肺成纤维细胞TGFfβ1基因表达

目的:探讨自行设计的TGFβ1shRNA对离体胎鼠肺成纤维细胞TGFβ1基因表达的干扰作用,为研究纤维化病变的基因治疗提供技术基础和依据.方法:原代培养胎鼠肺成纤维细胞,并建立细胞高氧损伤模型.针对大鼠TGFβ1基因mRNA序列,设计、合成携带3条TGFβ1shRNA绿色荧光蛋白融合表达质粒载体,并设阴性质粒组和空白组为对照,通过JetPEI包裹分别转染上述高氧损伤的胎鼠肺成纤维细胞.转染后24、48和72 h收集细胞,在荧光显微镜下观察干扰效果,采用实时荧光定量PCR检测TGFβ1基因表达情况,并计算干扰效率.结果:①成功培养胎鼠肺成纤维细胞,并建立细胞高氧损伤模型;②荧光显微镜下观察,可见转染后24、48和72 h TG-Fβ1shRNA质粒组细胞绿色荧光强度均明显弱于阴性质粒组细胞,空质粒载体组未产生绿色荧光;荧光定量PCR检测转染后胎鼠肺成纤维细胞TGFβ1 mRNA表达量,转染后24、48和72 hTGFβ1shRNA质粒组TGFβ1 mRNA表达量均显著低于阴性质粒组(P<0.01),其基因干扰效率则依次递减,分别为97.3%、96.9%和71.7%.结论:本研究证明自行设计的TGFβ1shRNA转染胎鼠肺成纤维细胞后24、48和72 h均能够高效干扰TGFβ1基因的表达,其基因干扰效率呈现一定的时间依赖性.     

RNA干涉及其在肿瘤研究中的应用

RNAi是双链RNA介导的转录后基因沉默的过程，是一种高效的高特异性抑制基因表达的新途径。通过双链小干涉RNA(siRNA)与一系列蛋白质结合形成siRNA诱导的沉默复合体(RISC)并活化，然后，RISC对靶基因进行识别、降解。与反义方法相比，siRNA具有更好的抑制效果。RNAi的应用将为癌症的基因治疗提供新的方法。