title: RNA silencing and genome regulation.
abstract: Closely related RNA silencing phenomena such as posttranscriptional and transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS and TGS), quelling and RNA interference (RNAi) represent different forms of a conserved ancestral process. The biological relevance of these RNA-directed mechanisms of silencing in gene regulation, genome defence and chromosomal structure is rapidly being unravelled. Here, we review the recent developments in the field of RNA silencing in relation to other epigenetic phenomena and discuss the significance of this process and its targets in the regulation of modern eukaryotic genomes.
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, 6.34 Swann Building, King's Buildings, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: Robin C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Allshire
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002503:Centromere / Q000235:genetics; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D016678:Genome; D006570:Heterochromatin / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics; D008957:Models, Genetic; D034622:RNA Interference; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006570:Heterochromatin; D035683:MicroRNAs