Ancient Pathways Programmed by Small RNAs

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 296; no. 5571; pp. 1265 - 1269
• Main Author: Zamore, Phillip D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Society for the Advancement of Science 17.05.2002; American Association for the Advancement of Science; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Animals; Cellular biology; Cultured cells; DNA Transposable Elements; Double stranded RNA; Drosophila; Endoribonucleases - metabolism; Fungi; Gene Silencing; Genes; Genetics; Humans; Messenger RNA; Plant Diseases; Plants - genetics; Proteins; Ribonuclease III; Ribonucleic acid; Ribonucleoproteins - metabolism; RNA; RNA interference; RNA Replicase - metabolism; RNA, Antisense - genetics; RNA, Antisense - metabolism; RNA, Double-Stranded - genetics; RNA, Double-Stranded - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; RNA, Plant - genetics; RNA, Plant - metabolism; RNA, Small Interfering; RNA, Untranslated - genetics; RNA, Untranslated - metabolism; Small interfering RNA; Transcription, Genetic; Transcripts (Written Records); Transgenes; Viewpoints; Virus Diseases - prevention & control; Virus Physiological Phenomena; United States
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1072457

Double-stranded RNA can now be used in a wide variety of eukaryotes to suppress the expression of virtually any gene, allowing the rapid analysis of that gene's function, a technique known as RNA interference. But how cells use the information in double-stranded RNA to suppress gene expression and why they contain the machinery to do so remain the subjects of intense scrutiny. Current evidence suggests that RNA interference and other "RNA silencing" phenomena reflect an elaborate cellular apparatus that eliminates abundant but defective messenger RNAs and defends against molecular parasites such as transposons and viruses.