Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Otto Warburg Minerva Center for Agricultural Biotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2011 Feb;89(3):501-12. doi: 10.1007/s00253-010-2928-1. Epub 2010 Oct 17.
RNA interference (RNAi) is a post-transcriptional gene-silencing (PTGS) phenomenon in which double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) triggers the degradation of homologous mRNA species, thereby reducing gene expression. In fungi, the use of RNAi as a tool for reverse genetics, aimed at modification of gene expression, is constantly growing, with more than 40 species already proven to be responsive. This technology has the ability to co-down-regulate the expression of several genes; however, this trait also makes it susceptible to non-target effects, which can be addressed using both available and developing bioinformatic tools. Moreover, the functionality of absorbed exogenous RNAi molecules, and the various classes of small RNAs found in fungi, offer great versatility and flexibility in acquiring the desired effects on gene expression, even without the necessity to genetically modify the targeted strain. There is an emerging role for RNAi as a potential tool for biotechnological applications. This is evident from current investigations in fungi, demonstrating the contribution of RNAi to progress research and applications in biomaterials production, bioconversion, plant fungal interactions and virulence factors of human pathogens. Possible problems and prospects for the use of RNAi in fungal biotechnology are discussed.
RNA 干扰 (RNAi) 是一种转录后基因沉默 (PTGS) 现象，双链 RNA (dsRNA) 触发同源 mRNA 物种的降解，从而降低基因表达。在真菌中，RNAi 作为一种用于反向遗传学的工具，旨在修饰基因表达，其应用不断发展，已有超过 40 种真菌被证明对此有反应。该技术具有共同下调多个基因表达的能力；然而，这一特性也使其容易受到非靶向效应的影响，可使用现有和开发中的生物信息学工具来解决。此外，吸收的外源 RNAi 分子的功能以及真菌中发现的各种小 RNA 类，在不进行目标菌株遗传修饰的情况下，为获得对基因表达的预期效果提供了很大的多功能性和灵活性。RNAi 作为一种潜在的生物技术应用工具的作用正在显现。这一点从真菌领域的当前研究中可以明显看出，RNAi 有助于推进生物材料生产、生物转化、植物真菌相互作用以及人类病原体毒力因子研究和应用的进展。本文讨论了 RNAi 在真菌生物技术中应用的可能问题和前景。
