Publication Date:
2007-11-03
Description:
Increasingly complex networks of small RNAs act through RNA-interference (RNAi) pathways to regulate gene expression, to mediate antiviral responses, to organize chromosomal domains, and to restrain the spread of selfish genetic elements. Historically, RNAi has been defined as a response to double-stranded RNA. However, some small RNA species may not arise from double-stranded RNA precursors. Yet, like microRNAs and small interfering RNAs, such species guide Argonaute proteins to silencing targets through complementary base-pairing. Silencing can be achieved by corecruitment of accessory factors or through the activity of Argonaute itself, which often has endonucleolytic activity. As a specific and adaptive regulatory system, RNAi is used throughout eukarya, which indicates a long evolutionary history. A likely function of RNAi throughout that history is to protect the genome from both pathogenic and parasitic invaders.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Notes: 〈/span〉Aravin, Alexei A -- Hannon, Gregory J -- Brennecke, Julius -- New York, N.Y. -- Science. 2007 Nov 2;318(5851):761-4.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Author address: 〈/span〉Watson School of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Record origin:〈/span〉 〈a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17975059" target="_blank"〉PubMed〈/a〉
Keywords:
*Adaptation, Biological
;
Animals
;
Argonaute Proteins
;
Base Sequence
;
*DNA Transposable Elements
;
Drosophila Proteins
;
Evolution, Molecular
;
Gene Silencing
;
Molecular Sequence Data
;
Proteins/genetics/physiology
;
*RNA, Small Interfering
;
RNA-Binding Proteins/genetics/*physiology
;
RNA-Induced Silencing Complex
Print ISSN:
0036-8075
Electronic ISSN:
1095-9203
Topics:
Biology
,
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Computer Science
,
Medicine
,
Natural Sciences in General
,
Physics
