RNAi的曲折经历与发展

RNAi是当今分子生物学研究领域内最引人注目的技术之一.已经在植物、线虫、果蝇、锥虫甚至哺乳动物细胞中发现RNAi现象. RNAi同时也是体内抵御病毒入侵、抵抗外在感染和抑制转座子活动的一种重要保护机制.通过介绍RNAi 技术富有传奇色彩的诞生和发展过程以及它对分子生物学乃至整个生命科学界产生的巨大作用,认识到RNAi是多学科联合发展的结果.我们应该加强各学科之间的整合.

The Dramatic Discovery and Development of RNAi Technology

In a diverse group of organisms including plants, Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila and trypanosomes, double - strand RNA (dsRNA) is a potent trigger of gene silencing. dsRNA can match with homologous mRNA by base paring to make specific gene inactivation. This phenomenon called RNAinterference (RNAi). Latest study shows that siRNAs can mediate specific gene silencing in mammal cells. Being effective and highly specific, RNAi probably becomes a novel technique in knocking gene down and plays important roles in gene function study and gene therapy of diseases. Through the introduction of the dramatic discovery and development of RNAi techniques, we can see RNAi has enormous effects on molecular biology and even the whole life science as well. And we should impose more attention to our subject conformity.