RNA interference (RNAi) is the
process by which the expression of a target gene can be effectively silenced or
knocked down. RNA interference involves two types of small ribonucleic
acid, namely, microRNA (miRNA) and small interfering RNA (siRNA),
which can bind to specific messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules and increase or
decrease their activity.
RNAi is a latest powerful geneknockdown technique that allows for tissue-specific, temporally controlled
suppression of gene expression. Gene knockdown is achieved by causing the
destruction of specific mRNA molecules by introducing small double-stranded
interfering RNAs (dsRNA) into the cytoplasm. When siRNA is introduced into the
cytoplasm of cells, it will be cut into short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) which
can target specific mRNA and causing degradation of it. Therefore, the
expression of a particular gene can be suppressed by introducing dsRNA whose
antisense strand sequence matches the mRNA sequence. Gene knockdown by RNAi is
temporary, but this can be solved by transfecting target tissues or cell lines
so that they express dsRNA autonomously.
The versatility of the technique leads to a number of
applications. RNAi can be used in drug or chemical target validation. RNAi can
target specific spliced exons, enabling the investigation of the functional
roles of alternatively spliced forms of a gene. RNAi is also valuable research
tool in cell culture and in living
organisms where it can be used for large-scale screens that
systematically shut down each gene in the cell, thus helping to identify the
components necessary for a particular cellular process or an event.