title: Long-lasting RNAi activity in mammalian neurons.
abstract: The effect of RNA interference (RNAi) induced by synthetic small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) on proliferating mammalian cells appears to last for approximately 3-7 days after its induction. Here we show that the RNAi activity induced by a synthetic 21-nucleotide siRNA duplex in postmitotic neurons, mouse primary hippocampal neurons and neurons that differentiated from mouse embryonal carcinoma P19 cells persists for at least 3 weeks, suggesting long-lasting RNAi activity in mammalian neurons. In addition, we also show that an apoptotic (or antiviral) pathway triggered by long dsRNAs is generated during neuronal differentiation of P19 cells, by which the sequence-specific RNAi activity involving long dsRNA appears to be masked.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Omi
authors.forename: Katsushi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tokunaga
authors.forename: Hirohiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hohjoh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000494:pharmacology; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018243:Teratocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D003561:Cytarabine; D014212:Tretinoin