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PMID: 19158785 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Review

On the road to reading the RNA-interference code.

Nature ·Vol. 457 ·No. 7228 ·2009-01-22 ·Pages 396-404

Siomi H, Siomi MC

Abstract

The finding that sequence-specific gene silencing occurs in response to the presence of double-stranded RNAs has had an enormous impact on biology, uncovering an unsuspected level of regulation of gene expression. This process, known as RNA interference (RNAi) or RNA silencing, involves small non-coding RNAs, which associate with nuclease-containing regulatory complexes and then pair with complementary messenger RNA targets, thereby preventing the expression of these mRNAs. Remarkable progress has been made towards understanding the underlying mechanisms of RNAi, raising the prospect of deciphering the 'RNAi code' that, like transcription factors, allows the fine-tuning and networking of complex suites of gene activity, thereby specifying cellular physiology and development.

MeSH Terms
Animals Humans MicroRNAs/biosynthesis,genetics,metabolism RNA Interference/physiology RNA, Double-Stranded/biosynthesis,genetics,metabolism RNA, Small Interfering/biosynthesis,genetics,metabolism RNA, Untranslated/biosynthesis,genetics,metabolism RNA-Induced Silencing Complex/metabolism
Chemicals
MicroRNAs RNA, Double-Stranded RNA, Small Interfering RNA, Untranslated RNA-Induced Silencing Complex
Authors & Affiliations
2 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Siomi Haruhiko
Department of Molecular Biology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
Siomi Mikiko C
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Article Info
Journal
Nature
Abbr.
Nature
ISSN
1476-4687
DOI
10.1038/nature07754
Published
2009-01-22
Pages
396-404
Language
English
Region
England
NLM ID
0410462
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1038/nature07754 View journal details
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