Small RNAs,RNAi and the Inheritance of Gene Silencing in Caenorhabditis elegans  

作　　者：Xuezhu Feng Shouhong Guang 

机构地区：[1]School of Life Sciences,University of Science and Technology of China

出　　处：《Journal of Genetics and Genomics》2013年第4期153-160,共8页遗传学报（英文版）

基　　金：supported by the grants from the State Key Development Program for Basic Research of China (No.2011 CBA01103);the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31171254);the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities(No.WK 2060190018)

摘　　要：Invasive nucleic acids such as transposons and viruses usually exhibit aberrant characteristics,e.g.,unpaired DNA or abnormal doublestranded RNA.Organisms employ a variety of strategies to defend themselves by distinguishing self and nonself substances and disabling these invasive nucleic acids.Furthermore,they have developed ways to remember this exposure to invaders and transmit the experience to their descendants.The mechanism underlying this inheritance has remained elusive.Recent research has shed light on the initiation and maintenance of RNA-mediated inherited gene silencing.Small regulatory RNAs play a variety of crucial roles in organisms,including gene regulation,developmental timing,antiviral defense,and genome integrity,via a process termed as RNA interference（RNAi）.Recent research has revealed that small RNAs and the RNAi machinery are engaged in establishing and promoting transgenerational gene silencing.Small RNAs direct the RNAi and chromatin modification machinery to the cognate nucleic acids to regulate gene expression and epigenetic alterations.Notably,these acquired small RNAs and epigenetic changes persist and are transmitted from parents to offspring for multiple generations.Thus,RNAi is a vital determinant of the inheritance of gene silencing and acts as a driving force of evolution.Invasive nucleic acids such as transposons and viruses usually exhibit aberrant characteristics,e.g.,unpaired DNA or abnormal doublestranded RNA.Organisms employ a variety of strategies to defend themselves by distinguishing self and nonself substances and disabling these invasive nucleic acids.Furthermore,they have developed ways to remember this exposure to invaders and transmit the experience to their descendants.The mechanism underlying this inheritance has remained elusive.Recent research has shed light on the initiation and maintenance of RNA-mediated inherited gene silencing.Small regulatory RNAs play a variety of crucial roles in organisms,including gene regulation,developmental timing,antiviral defense,and genome integrity,via a process termed as RNA interference（RNAi）.Recent research has revealed that small RNAs and the RNAi machinery are engaged in establishing and promoting transgenerational gene silencing.Small RNAs direct the RNAi and chromatin modification machinery to the cognate nucleic acids to regulate gene expression and epigenetic alterations.Notably,these acquired small RNAs and epigenetic changes persist and are transmitted from parents to offspring for multiple generations.Thus,RNAi is a vital determinant of the inheritance of gene silencing and acts as a driving force of evolution.

关 键 词：RNAI Small RNA INHERITANCE Gene silencing nrde 

分 类 号：Q522[生物学—生物化学]