RNA干扰技术应用的研究进展

RNA干扰指双链RNA介导的、序列特异的转录后基因沉寂的过程。它作为一项最新的分子生物学研究技术,自1998年发现以来已有了重大进展。RNA干扰技术在哺乳动物中的应用研究自2001年取得突破以后又获得了重大进展,在构建稳定表达小干扰RNA的载体和有效筛选小干扰RNA靶序列技术方面取得突破,并在胞内抗病毒免疫、基因功能应用研究、机体水平应用研究等方面也取得了重大进步。     

RNA干扰的抗病毒作用及其影响因素

自从在哺乳动物细胞中发现存在RNA干扰现象以来,RNA干扰技术也应用于抗病毒研究.通过多种形式诱发的RNA干扰对细胞中病毒的复制或病毒基因的表达都产生了有效的抑制,为病毒病的预防和治疗提供了新的途径.然而,一些因素制约着RNA干扰的潜在应用,如在RNA干扰压力下病毒逃逸株的出现,有的病毒可以编码RNA干扰抑制因子以及小干扰RNA的脱靶效应等.     

RNA干扰技术在哺乳动物中的应用

RNA干扰(RNAi)是生物界普遍存在的一种抵御外来基因和病毒感染的进化保守机制.RNAi是由双链RNA触发的转录后基因沉默机制,具有序列特异性,在哺乳动物细胞中,RNAi由21～23个核苷酸组成的双链RNA引发.小干扰RNA(siRNA)可以在体外合成或通过表达载体在哺乳动物细胞内合成.由于RNAi技术具有快速、简单和特异性强等特点,在基因功能研究、抗病毒治疗和抗肿瘤治疗等方面有广泛的应用前景.     

RNA干扰在疾病治疗方面的应用研究

RNA干扰是由双链RNA引起的序列特异的基因沉默现象。由于RNA干扰能在细胞组织及动物模型中沉默疾病相关基因,因此,RNA干扰也是各种疾病治疗的有效手段。在哺乳动物细胞内诱导RNA干扰可以通过导入小干扰RNA（siRNA）,或是以质粒、病毒为载体表达短的发夹RNA（shRNA）而实现。本文介绍了RNA干扰在疾病治疗方面的应用,并就其面临的挑战进行讨论。     

第三类小RNA和生殖细胞发育

果蝇中重复相关小干扰RNA(rasiRNA)和哺乳动物中Piwi相互作用RNA(piRNA)是最近发现的大小在30个核苷酸左右的小RNA,它们与已经发现的22个核苷酸左右的短干扰RNA(siRNA)和微小RNA(miRNA)有明显区别,因此命名为第三类小RNA。第三类小RNA可以与Piwi形成基因沉默复合体,并可能采取与经典RNA干扰不同的方式而影响特定基因的表达。目前这类小RNA主要在生殖细胞及干细胞中发现,尤其对生殖细胞中生理功能的全面研究,可能对RNA干扰现象有一个更为全面的理解。     

在哺乳细胞中构建不同MicroRNA载体的研究

RNA干扰技术是分子生物学研究的热点,同时也是有效阐明基因功能的有力工具。利用载体表达的小干扰RNA在疾病的治疗研究中意义更为重要。针对RNA干扰技术的发展,构建载体的研究及其应用前景作了简单概述,对如何在哺乳动物中构建不同microRNA载体作了详细报道。     

RNA干扰抗病毒感染

RNA干扰是由双链RNA诱导的、关闭同源序列基因表达的机制。它是一种自然存在于植物、线虫、果蝇等真核细胞生物中的抵抗病毒感染方式。随着在哺乳动物细胞培养中成功地诱导RNA干扰,利用RNA干扰预防、治疗病毒感染已成为新的研究热点,并取得了有希望的成果。在未来,有望成为抗病毒感染的有效方法。     

RNA干扰技术治疗疾病

RNA干扰(RNA interference,RNAi)现象最早发现于秀丽隐杆线虫(Caenorhabditis elegans),随后发现该现象普遍存在于真菌、植物和哺乳动物等真核生物,并行使基因调控和抵御外源基因片段侵袭的作用。目前,RNAi分子机制和RNAi在基因功能方面的研究已经取得了突破性的进展。鉴于RNAi在基因沉默中的特异性、高效性和易操作,其在药物筛选和疾病治疗等方面有着广泛的应用前景。然而,RNAi技术用于治疗疾病的安全性尚待确定,分子传递途径也有待进一步的研究。     

H1启动子siRNA载体的构建及应用

利用双链RNA(dsRNA)调控基因表达已经成为研究基因功能的有力工具。用人H1启动子构建了pBS／H1PS小干扰RNA(siRNA)表达载体,用于在哺乳动物细胞中产生特异性dsRNA转录产物。通过对293细胞中的PSMA7分子进行表达抑制,证明该siRNA载体能够有效产生针对靶基因的RNA干扰(RNAi)效应。     

RNA干扰及其在果树上的应用

RNA干扰是广泛存在于生物中的一种现象,它是由小干扰RNA诱导的特异基因沉默.它是生物体抵抗异常的一种防御机制,同时在生物生长发育过程中调控基因的表达,为植物基因功能的研究开辟了新途径.综述了RNA干扰的作用机制、RNA干扰的特点,以及近年来RNA干扰在果树生长发育、抗病性、果实品质改良等方面的应用,以期为RNA干扰技术在果实品种品质改良中的应用提供指导.     

Tissue-specific RNA interference in post-implantation mouse embryos using directional electroporation and whole embryo culture

In mammals, embryonic development is more difficult to analyze than in non-mammalian species because this development occurs in utero. Interestingly, whole embryo culture allows the normal development of mouse post-implantation embryos for up to 2 days in vitro. One limitation of this technology has been the difficulty of performing loss-of-gene function studies in this system. RNA interference (RNAi), whereby double-stranded RNA molecules suppress the expression of complementary genes, has rapidly become a widely used tool for gene function analyses. We have combined the technologies of mouse whole embryo culture and RNAi to allow the molecular dissection of developmental processes. Here, we review the manipulation by topical injection followed by directional electroporation of endoribonuclease-prepared siRNA to demonstrate that this technology may be useful to knock down genes in a tissue- and region-specific manner in several organs of the developing mouse embryo.     

RNA interference in pain research

Within the course of only the last few years, RNA interference (RNAi) has been established as a standard technology for investigation of protein function and target validation. The present review summarizes recent progress made in the application of RNAi in neurosciences with special emphasis on pain research. RNAi is a straightforward method to generate loss-of-function phenotypes for any gene of interest. In mammals, silencing is induced by small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), which have been shown to surpass traditional antisense molecules. Due to its high specificity, RNAi has the potential for subtype selective silencing of even closely related genes. One of the major challenges for in vivo investigations of RNAi remains efficient delivery of siRNA molecules to the relevant tissues and cells, particularly to the central nervous system. Various examples will be given to demonstrate that intrathecal application of siRNAs is a suitable approach to analyse the function of receptors or other proteins that are hypothesized to play an important role in pain signalling. Intensive efforts are currently ongoing to solve remaining problems such as the risk of off-target effects, the stability of siRNA molecules and their efficient delivery to the CNS. RNAi has thus demonstrated that it is an extremely valuable tool for the development of new analgesic drugs.     

In vitro analysis of RNA interference in Drosophila melanogaster

Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) triggers the destruction of mRNA sharing sequence with the dsRNA, a phenomenon termed RNA interference (RNAi). The dsRNA is converted by endonucleolytic cleavage into 21- to 23-nt small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), which direct a multiprotein complex, the RNA-induced silencing complex to cleave RNA complementary to the siRNA. RNAi can be recapitulated in vitro in lysates of syncytial blastoderm Drosophila embryos. These lysates reproduce all of the known steps in the RNAi pathway in flies and mammals. Here we explain how to prepare and use Drosophila embryo lysates to dissect the mechanism of RNAi.     

RNA干扰作用(RNAi)研究进展

RNA干扰作用 (RNAi)是生物界一种古老而且进化上高度保守的现象 ,是基因转录后沉默作用 (PTGS)的重要机制之一 .RNAi主要通过dsRNA被核酸酶切割成 2 1～ 2 5nt的干扰性小RNA即siRNA ,由siRNA介导识别并靶向切割同源性靶mRNA分子而实现 .RNAi要有多种蛋白因子以及ATP参与 ,而且具有生物催化反应特征 .RNAi是新发现的一种通过dsRNA介导的特异性高效抑制基因表达途径 ,在后基因组时代的基因功能研究和药物开发中具有广阔应用前景     

Functional analysis of the RNAi response in ovary-derived silkmoth Bm5 cells

Experiments of dsRNA-mediated gene silencing in lepidopteran insects in vivo are characterized by high variability although lepidopteran cell cultures have shown an efficient response to RNAi in transfection experiments. In order to identify the core RNAi factors that regulate the RNAi response of Lepidoptera, we employed the silkmoth ovary-derived Bm5 cells as a test system since this cell line is known to respond potently in silencing after dsRNA transfection. Two parallel approaches were used; involving knock-down of the core RNAi genes or over-expression of the main siRNA pathway factors, in order to study possible inhibition or stimulation of the RNAi silencing response, respectively. Components from all three main small RNA pathways (BmAgo-1 for miRNA, BmAgo-2/BmDcr-2 for siRNA, and BmAgo-3 for piRNA) were found to be involved in the RNAi response that is triggered by dsRNA. Since BmAgo-3, a factor in the piRNA pathway that functions independent of Dicer in Drosophila, was identified as a limiting factor in the RNAi response, sense and antisense ssRNA was also tested to induce gene silencing but proved to be ineffective, suggesting a dsRNA-dependent role for BmAgo-3 in Bombyx mori. After efficient over-expression of the main siRNA factors, immunofluorescence staining revealed a predominant cytoplasmic localization in Bm5 cells. This is the first study in Lepidoptera to provide evidence for possible overlapping of all three known small RNA pathways in the regulation of the dsRNA-mediated silencing response using transfected B. mori-derived Bm5 cells as experimental system.     

RNA干扰与抗病毒感染

RNA干扰(RNAi)是由小干扰RNA(siRNA)引发的生物细胞内同源基因的转录后基因沉默(PTGS)现象,是一种古老的生物抵抗外在感染的防御机制。RNAi因其在维持基因组稳定、调控基因表达和保护基因组免受外源核酸侵入等方面发挥的重要作用,已被广泛用于探索基因功能、基因治疗和新药的研发。外源导入siRNA引发的RNAi可以特异性抑制病毒的复制与感染,为抗病毒感染治疗开辟了一条新的途径。     

RNA interference-mediated simultaneous silencing of four genes using cross-shaped RNA

The structural flexibility of RNA interference (RNAi)-triggering nucleic acids suggests that the design of unconventional RNAi trigger structures with novel features is possible. Here, we report a cross-shaped RNA duplex structure, termed quadruple interfering RNA (qiRNA), with multiple target gene silencing activity. qiRNA triggers the simultaneous down-regulation of four cellular target genes via an RNAi mechanism. In addition, qiRNA shows enhanced intracellular delivery and target gene silencing over conventional siRNA when complexed with jetPEI, a linear polyethyleneimine (PEI). We also show that the long antisense strand of qiRNA is incorporated intact into an RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). This novel RNA scaffold further expands the repertoire of RNAi-triggering molecular structures and could be used in the development of therapeutics for various diseases including viral infections and cancer.     

真菌中RNA干扰的生物学功能

RNA干扰(RNA interference,RNAi)是一种保守的真核生物基因调控机制,它利用小的非编码RNA介导转录/转录后的基因沉默。虽然部分真菌丢失了RNAi系统,但随着对真菌RNAi机制研究的增加,越来越多的证据表明,真菌的RNAi系统不但参与维持基因组完整性,其在调节真菌生长发育、介导异染色质组装、促进着丝粒进化、调节真菌耐药性与毒力等方面也具有重要作用。本文主要对真菌中RNAi的生物学功能进行综述,以期为进一步深入研究真菌RNA干扰机制提供一定的理论与研究基础。