title: The role of RNA interference in heterochromatic silencing.
abstract: Soon after its discovery 75 years ago, heterochromatin, a dense chromosomal material, was found to silence genes. But its importance in regulating gene expression was controversial. Long thought to be inert, heterochromatin is now known to give rise to small RNAs, which, by means of RNA interference, direct the modification of proteins and DNA in heterochromatic repeats and transposable elements. Heterochromatin has thus emerged as a key factor in epigenetic regulation of gene expression, chromosome behaviour and evolution.
authors.affiliation: Watson School of Biological Sciences and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724 USA.
authors.forename: Zachary
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lippman
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martienssen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D018392:Genomic Imprinting / Q000235:genetics; D006570:Heterochromatin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D034622:RNA Interference / Q000502:physiology*; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics; D015003:Yeasts / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D006570:Heterochromatin