title: Identification and characterization of small RNAs involved in RNA silencing.
abstract: Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is a potent trigger of sequence-specific gene silencing mechanisms known as RNA silencing or RNA interference. The recognition of the target sequences is mediated by ribonucleoprotein complexes that contain 21- to 28-nucleotide (nt) guide RNAs derived from processing of the trigger dsRNA. Here, we review the experimental and bioinformatic approaches that were used to identify and characterize these small RNAs isolated from cells and tissues. The identification and characterization of small RNAs and their expression patterns is important for elucidating gene regulatory networks.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of RNA Molecular Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10021, USA. aravina@rockefeller.edu
authors.forename: Alexei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aravin
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tuschl
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D019295:Computational Biology; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D004330:Drosophila; D015723:Gene Library; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000737:chemistry; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D035683:MicroRNAs; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D012313:RNA