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Science 26 May 2000:
Vol. 288. no. 5470, pp. 1370 - 1372
DOI: 10.1126/science.288.5470.1370
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Interfering With Gene Expression

Jean Marx

An explosion of recent evidence is revealing a new cellular pathway for silencing specific genes at the messenger RNA (mRNA) level that may protect organisms against viruses and genetic damage. This mechanism, which is very widespread--it occurs in organisms ranging from the mold Neurospora to plants, worms, simple vertebrates like the zebrafish, and perhaps even mammals--is apparently triggered when the cell senses some kind of danger, such as a replicating virus or abnormal mRNA. By learning how the cell directs an RNA-cutting enzyme (ribonuclease) to specifically degrade just the mRNAs related to the trigger without affecting other genes, researchers have been able to devise a new method of inactivating specific genes--an ability that should be very useful for studying gene function and might also be used to create genetically modified plants and other organisms.

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
RNA Interference-Based Gene Silencing as an Efficient Tool for Functional Genomics in Hexaploid Bread Wheat.
S. Travella, T. E. Klimm, and B. Keller (2006)
Plant Physiology 142, 6-20
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The impact of a transgene for ovine growth hormone on the performance of two breeds of sheep.
N. R. Adams, J. R. Briegel, and K. A. Ward (2002)
J Anim Sci 80, 2325-2333
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Triplex forming oligonucleotide targeted to 3'UTR downregulates the expression of the bcl-2 proto-oncogene in HeLa cells.
C. Shen, A. Buck, G. Mehrke, B. Polat, H.-J. Gross, M. Bachem, and S. Reske (2001)
Nucleic Acids Res. 29, 622-628
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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)