Gene-specific Silencing by Expression of Parallel Complementary RNA in Escherichia coli

• Published in: The Journal of biological chemistry Vol. 275; no. 34; pp. 26523 - 26529
• Main Authors: Tchurikov, N A, Chistyakova, L G, Zavilgelsky, G B, Manukhov, I V, Chernov, B K, Golova, Y B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 25.08.2000
• Subjects: ATP-Dependent Proteases; Base Sequence; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - genetics; Escherichia coli Proteins; Gene Silencing; Heat-Shock Proteins - metabolism; Molecular Sequence Data; Protease La; Regulon; RNA, Bacterial - biosynthesis; RNA, Complementary - biosynthesis; Serine Endopeptidases - metabolism
• ISSN: 0021-9258; 1083-351X
• DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M002833200

Gene-specific silencing refers to a phenomenon in which expression of an individual gene can be specifically repressed by different mechanisms on the levels of transcription, RNA splicing, transport, degradation in nuclei or cytoplasm, or blocking of translation. In different species gene-specific silencing was observed by expression or injections of antiparallel double-stranded RNA formed by a fragment of mRNA and antisense RNA. Here we show a potent and specific gene silencing in bacteria by expression of RNA, that is complementary in a parallel orientation to Escherichia coli lon mRNA. Moreover, the expression of parallel RNA is more effective at producing interference than expression of antisense RNA corresponding to the same mRNA region. Both effects of interference mediated either by parallel RNA or antiparallel RNA gradually decrease up to the 40th generation. Together with in vitro nuclease protection studies these results indicate that a parallel RNA duplex might be formed in vivo and both types of duplexes, antiparallel or parallel, can induce gene-specific silencing by similar mechanisms.