title: Duplexes of 21-nucleotide RNAs mediate RNA interference in cultured mammalian cells.
abstract: RNA interference (RNAi) is the process of sequence-specific, post-transcriptional gene silencing in animals and plants, initiated by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) that is homologous in sequence to the silenced gene. The mediators of sequence-specific messenger RNA degradation are 21- and 22-nucleotide small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) generated by ribonuclease III cleavage from longer dsRNAs. Here we show that 21-nucleotide siRNA duplexes specifically suppress expression of endogenous and heterologous genes in different mammalian cell lines, including human embryonic kidney (293) and HeLa cells. Therefore, 21-nucleotide siRNA duplexes provide a new tool for studying gene function in mammalian cells and may eventually be used as gene-specific therapeutics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Elbashir
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harborth
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lendeckel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yalcin
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tuschl
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D019556:COS Cells; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003063:Cnidaria; D001517:Coleoptera; D004330:Drosophila; D020868:Gene Silencing; D005796:Genes / Q000502:physiology*; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D005821:Genetic Techniques; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D034882:Lamins; D034521:Nuclear Matrix-Associated Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D014746:Vimentin / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D034882:Lamins; C050045:NUMA1 protein, human; D034521:Nuclear Matrix-Associated Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014746:Vimentin