RNA干扰研究现状

Study Status of RNA Interference

RNA干扰(RNAi)是指生物体内利用双链RNA(dsRNA)诱导同源靶基因的mRNA特异性降解,从而导致转录后基因沉默的现象。其在抵抗病毒感染、抑制转座子活动、调控内源性基因表达等方面发挥重要作用。RNAi以其高特异性、高效性等显著优势将成为研究基因功能的全新手段。简要概括RNAi作用机制和siRNA技术的原理,同时也讨论了RNAi技术在其他领域,如在基因信号通路研究、高通量研究基因功能、基因治疗如肿瘤研究和疾病治疗等方面的应用。

RNA interference（RNAi）refers to the process where by double-stranded RNA（dsRNA）induces sequence-specific post-transcriptional gene silencing（PTGS）in many organisms.Similar gene silencing phenomena have subsequently been decribed in a wide range of eukaryotic organisms such as fungi,worms,flies,and manmmals.RNA interference is a powerful genetic approach for efficiently silencing target genes,which has an important role in viral defense,transposon silencing,and endogenous gene regulation.DsRNA can be processed into 21-25 nucleotides（nt）small regulatory RNAs,small interfering RNAs（siRNA）or microRNAs（miRNA）,which direct eninhibitory process of target mRNAs homologous through mRNA cleavage or translational repression.A core feature of silencing detected in all organisms is the production of 21-25-nt small RANs by the endoribonuclease Dicer.Because of highly specific and effective of RNAi,which make RNAi become a novel method for studying gene functions.The review mainly summarized action principle and mechanism of RNAi,the difference between siRNA and miRNA and design,preparation and analyzing results of RNAi.At the same time,the uses of RNAi technology were also reviewed in this paper,for examples,the study of signal transduction pathway,high-flux study gene functions,gene therapy（for example,cancer study etc.）,and curing diseases etc.Finally,prospects of RNAi use were also analyzed briefly.We wish the paper could provide references of theory and method for RNAi further study and using.