Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2010 Aug;42(8):1306-15. doi: 10.1016/j.biocel.2010.03.006. Epub 2010 Mar 19.
Small RNA pathways, including the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway and the microRNA (miRNA) pathway, regulate gene expression, defend against transposable elements and viruses, and, in some organisms, guide genome rearrangements. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) has been at the forefront of small RNA research; not only were the first miRNAs and their function as regulators of gene expression discovered in C. elegans, but also double-stranded RNA-induced gene silencing by RNAi was discovered in this model organism. Since then, genetic and RNAi-mediated screens, candidate gene approaches, and biochemical studies have uncovered numerous factors in the small RNA pathways and painted a rich palette of interacting pathways. Here we review the different small RNAs that have been discovered in C. elegans and discuss our understanding of their biogenesis pathways and mechanisms of action.
小 RNA 通路，包括 RNA 干扰（RNAi）通路和 microRNA（miRNA）通路，调控基因表达、抵御转座元件和病毒，并在某些生物体中指导基因组重排。线虫 Caenorhabditis elegans（秀丽隐杆线虫）一直处于小 RNA 研究的前沿；不仅第一个 miRNAs 及其作为基因表达调控因子的功能在秀丽隐杆线虫中被发现，而且双链 RNA 诱导的 RNAi 基因沉默也在该模式生物中被发现。此后，遗传和 RNAi 介导的筛选、候选基因方法和生化研究揭示了小 RNA 通路中的许多因子，并描绘了丰富多彩的相互作用通路。在这里，我们综述了在秀丽隐杆线虫中发现的不同小 RNA，并讨论了我们对它们的生物发生途径和作用机制的理解。
