Endogenous small interfering RNAs in animals.
Until recently, only nematodes among animals had a well-defined endogenous small interfering RNA (endo-siRNA) pathway. This has changed dramatically with the recent discovery of diverse intramolecular and intermolecular substrates that generate endo-siRNAs in Drosophila melanogaster and mice. These findings suggest broad and possibly conserved roles for endogenous RNA interference in regulating host-gene expression and transposable element transcripts. They also raise many questions regarding the biogenesis and function of small regulatory RNAs in animals.
Okamura
Katsutomo
K
Department of Developmental Biology, Sloan-Kettering Institute, 521 Rockefeller Research Laboratories, New York, New York 10065, USA.
Lai
Eric C
EC
D000818:Animals; D015852:Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*
D015852:Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-2; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering