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Gene expression

Long-term gene silencing by RNAi

Nature volume 442, page 882 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Small RNA molecules participate in a variety of activities in the cell: in a process known as RNA interference (RNAi), double-stranded RNA triggers the degradation of messenger RNA that has a matching sequence; the small RNA intermediates of this process can also modify gene expression in the nucleus1. Here we show that a single episode of RNAi in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans can induce transcriptional silencing effects that are inherited indefinitely in the absence of the original trigger. Our findings may prove useful in the ongoing development of RNAi to treat disease.

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Figure 1: RNA interference triggers inheritable silencing of a transgene encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hubrecht Laboratory–KNAW, University of Utrecht, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, the Netherlands

    Nadine L. Vastenhouw, Kristy L. Okihara, Marcel Tijsterman & Ronald H. A. Plasterk

  2. University of Utrecht, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, the Netherlands

    Ronald H. A. Plasterk

  3. Institute of Zoology, University of Fribourg, Pérolles, Fribourg, 1700, Switzerland

    Karin Brunschwig & Fritz Müller

Authors
  1. Nadine L. Vastenhouw
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  2. Karin Brunschwig
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  3. Kristy L. Okihara
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  4. Fritz Müller
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  5. Marcel Tijsterman
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  6. Ronald H. A. Plasterk
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ronald H. A. Plasterk.

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Vastenhouw, N., Brunschwig, K., Okihara, K. et al. Long-term gene silencing by RNAi. Nature 442, 882 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/442882a

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