RNA interference is a cellular mechanism that uses small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to degrade unwanted RNAs in the cytoplasm. The mechanism involves introducing double-stranded RNA that is processed by an enzyme into siRNAs. These siRNAs then guide another protein complex to cleave homologous messenger RNA, preventing its translation and silencing gene expression in a potent and specific manner.

1. What is RNA interference?
Shooting down mRNA

2. BackgroundBackground
What is it?What is it?
Why use it?Why use it?
The mechanism and processThe mechanism and process
RNAiRNAi

3. Plasmid
Virus

5. Jorgensen 1990
van der Krol 1990
Gene injection (pigmentation
Enzyme-petunias)
Expectation: more red color
Co-suppression of transgene
and endogenous gene.
Bill Douherty and Lindbo 1993
Gene injection with a complete tobacco
etch virus particle.
Expectation: virus expression
Co-suppression of transgene
and virus particles via RNA.
Hamilton and Baulcombe 1998
Identification of short antisense RNA
sequences
dsRNA?
How?
Fire and Mello 1998
Injection of dsRNA into C. elegans
RNA interference (RNAi) or silencing
Ambros 1993 (2000)
Identification of small RNA in
C. elegans (micro RNA)

6. Shooting mRNA means RNA interference

7. What is RNA interference?
--Gene “knockdown”
--A cellular mechanism that degrades
unwanted RNAs in the cytoplasm but not in
the nucleus. Why?
--A way for the cell to defend itself.

8. Why use RNAi?
1. The most powerful way to inhibit gene
expression and acquire info about the
gene’s function fast
2. Works in any cell/organism
3. Uses conserved endogenous machinery
4. Potent at low concentrations
5. Highly specific.

9. The mechanism of
small interfering RNAs (siRNAs)
What happens?
dsRNA is processed into shorter units (siRNAs)
that guide the targeted cleavage of homologous
RNA.

10. RNA interference:
--A type of gene regulation
--Involve small RNA molecules
--Induce a double stranded RNA
The RNAi process

11. Step 1
• dsRNA is processed
into sense and
antisense RNAs
• 21-25 nucleotides in
length
• have 2-3 nt 3’
overhanging ends
• Done by Dicer (an
RNase III-type
enzyme)

12. Step 2
• The siRNAs
associate
with RISC (RNA-
induced silencing
complex) and
unwind

13. Step 3
• the antisense
siRNAs act as
guides for RISC to
associate with
complimentary
single-stranded
mRNAs.

14. Step 4
• RISC cuts the
mRNA approximately
in the middle of the
region paired with
the siRNA
• The mRNA is
degraded further

15. Gene regulation by small RNAs
Small temporal(St) RNAs
prevent translation to
stop gene expression quickly
siRNAs degrade mRNA
to stop gene expression
quickly
Dicer gene in C. elegans

16. --MicroRNAs (miRNA) are single-stranded RNA molecules of about 21-23 nucleotides in length,
which regulate gene expression (down-regulation).
--miRNAs are non-coding RNAs ( no proteins are made)
--Stem-loop or hairpin loop intra-molecular base pairing is a pattern that can occur in
single-stranded DNA or, more commonly, in RNA.
-your RNAi?