Genome-wide RNAi analysis of growth and viability in Drosophila cells.
A crucial aim upon completion of whole genome sequences is the functional analysis of all predicted genes. We have applied a high-throughput RNA-interference (RNAi) screen of 19,470 double-stranded (ds) RNAs in cultured cells to characterize the function of nearly all (91%) predicted Drosophila genes in cell growth and viability. We found 438 dsRNAs that identified essential genes, among which 80% lacked mutant alleles. A quantitative assay of cell number was applied to identify genes of known and uncharacterized functions. In particular, we demonstrate a role for the homolog of a mammalian acute myeloid leukemia gene (AML1) in cell survival. Such a systematic screen for cell phenotypes, such as cell viability, can thus be effective in characterizing functionally related genes on a genome-wide scale.
Boutros
Michael
M
Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Kiger
Amy A
AA
Armknecht
Susan
S
Kerr
Kim
K
Hild
Marc
M
Koch
Britta
B
Haas
Stefan A
SA
Paro
Renato
R
Perrimon
Norbert
N
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019295:Computational Biology; D050676:Core Binding Factor Alpha 2 Subunit; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D020043:Genes, Essential; D017344:Genes, Insect; D016678:Genome; D006801:Humans; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D010641:Phenotype; D020543:Proteome; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D034622:RNA Interference; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000235:genetics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D017385:Sequence Homology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D050676:Core Binding Factor Alpha 2 Subunit; C111891:DIAP1 protein, Drosophila; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D020543:Proteome; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; C493728:RUNX1 protein, human; D014157:Transcription Factors