RNA interference (RNAi) Animation || miRNA || siRNA || mRNA regulation
RNA Interference: An Overview
Introduction to RNAi
- RNA interference (RNAi) is introduced, along with a historical context involving petunias.
- Adding a gene for pigment enhancement unexpectedly resulted in less pigment in flowers.
Discovery of Gene Silencing
- Researchers found that double-stranded RNA injection into C. elegans led to decreased gene expression.
- This phenomenon was termed RNA interference (RNAi), crucial for gene silencing.
Mechanism of RNAi
- RDRP creates double-stranded RNA in plants, leading to reduced pigment gene expression.
- Two main types of RNA involved are microRNA (miRNA) and small interfering RNA (siRNA).
siRNA Functionality
- Dicer enzyme cuts long dsRNA into short siRNAs, activating the RISC complex.
- The guide strand of siRNA directs RISC to target mRNA for cleavage and gene silencing.
miRNA Processing
- miRNAs are transcribed by RNA polymerase II and processed into pre-miRNAs before entering the cytoplasm.