Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
Trends Parasitol. 2013 Jun;29(6):295-303. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2013.04.003. Epub 2013 May 13.
The discovery of small non-coding RNAs has revolutionized our understanding of regulatory networks governing multiple functions in animals and plants. However, our knowledge of mosquito small RNAs is limited. We discuss here the state of current knowledge regarding the roles of small RNAs and their targets in mosquitoes, and describe the ongoing efforts to understand the role of the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway in mosquito antiviral immunity and transposon silencing. Providing a clear picture into the role of small RNAs in mosquito vectors will pave the way to the utilization of these small molecules in developing novel control approaches that target mosquito immunity and/or reproductive events. Elucidation of the functions of small RNAs represents a new frontier in mosquito biology.
小非编码 RNA 的发现彻底改变了我们对调控动物和植物多种功能的调控网络的理解。然而,我们对蚊子小 RNA 的了解是有限的。在这里,我们讨论了当前关于小 RNA 及其在蚊子中的靶标作用的知识状态,并描述了正在努力理解 RNA 干扰 (RNAi) 途径在蚊子抗病毒免疫和转座子沉默中的作用。为小 RNA 在蚊子媒介中的作用提供清晰的认识将为利用这些小分子开发针对蚊子免疫和/或生殖事件的新型控制方法铺平道路。阐明小 RNA 的功能代表了蚊子生物学的一个新领域。