Genes required for systemic RNA interference in Caenorhabditis elegans.
RNA interference (RNAi) in the nematode worm, Caenorhabditis elegans, occurs systemically. Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) provided in the diet can be absorbed from the gut lumen and distributed throughout the body, triggering RNAi in tissues that are not exposed to the initial dsRNA trigger. This is in marked contrast to other animals, in which RNAi does not spread from targeted tissues to neighboring cells. Here, we report the characterization of mutants defective in the systemic aspect of RNAi, but not in the core RNAi process itself. Analysis of these mutants suggests that dsRNA uptake is a specific process involving several unique proteins.
Tijsterman
Marcel
M
Hubrecht Laboratory, Centre for Biomedical Genetics, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands.
May
Robin C
RC
Simmer
Femke
F
Okihara
Kristy L
KL
Plasterk
Ronald H A
RH
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D034622:RNA Interference / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000235:genetics* / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000502:physiology; D016415:Sequence Alignment
D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins