Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Crop Improvement, College of Agriculture, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, India 176062.
Appl Biochem Biotechnol. 2013 Mar;169(5):1579-605. doi: 10.1007/s12010-012-0046-5. Epub 2013 Jan 17.
This review highlights the advances in the knowledge of RNA interference (RNAi) and discusses recent progress on the functionality of different components RNAi machinery operating in the organisms. The silencing of genes by RNA interference has become the technology of choice for investigation of gene functions in different organisms. The refinement in the knowledge of the endogenous RNAi pathways in plants along with the development of new strategies and applications for the improvement of nutritional value of important agricultural crops through suppression of genes in different plants have opened new vistas for nutritional security. The improvement in the nutritional status of the plants and reduction in the level of toxins or antinutrients was desired for long, but the available technology was not completely successful in achieving the tissue specific regulation of some genes. In the recent years, a number of economically important crop plants have been tested successfully for improving plant nutritional value through metabolic engineering using RNAi. The implications of this technology for crop improvement programs, including nutritional enrichment, reduction of antinutrients, disease, and insect control have been successfully tested in variety of crops with commercial considerations. The enhancement of the nutraceutical traits for the desired health benefits in common crop plants through manipulation of gene expression has been elaborated in this article. The tremendous potential with RNAi technology is expected to revolutionize the modern agriculture for meeting the growing challenges is discussed.
本文综述了 RNA 干扰 (RNAi) 知识的进展，并讨论了不同生物中 RNAi 机制不同成分功能的最新进展。通过 RNA 干扰沉默基因已成为研究不同生物中基因功能的首选技术。随着对植物内源性 RNAi 途径的认识不断深入，以及开发新策略和应用的不断发展，通过抑制不同植物中的基因来提高重要农业作物的营养价值，为营养安全开辟了新的前景。长期以来，人们一直希望提高植物的营养状况并降低毒素或抗营养物质的水平，但现有技术在实现某些基因的组织特异性调控方面并不完全成功。近年来，利用 RNAi 通过代谢工程成功地对许多经济上重要的作物进行了测试，以提高植物的营养价值。这项技术对作物改良计划的影响，包括营养强化、减少抗营养物质、疾病和昆虫控制，已经在具有商业考虑的各种作物中得到了成功的测试。本文详细阐述了通过操纵基因表达来增强常见作物中的营养保健品特性，以获得所需的健康益处。预计 RNAi 技术的巨大潜力将彻底改变现代农业，以应对不断增长的挑战。
