Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2022 Jul;127:142-154. doi: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.11.018. Epub 2021 Dec 6.
RNA interference (RNAi) is a highly conserved gene regulatory phenomenon whereby Argonaute/small RNA (AGO/sRNA) complexes target transcripts by antisense complementarity to modulate gene expression. While initially appreciated as a cytoplasmic process, RNAi can also occur in the nucleus where AGO/sRNA complexes are recruited to nascent transcripts. Nuclear AGO/sRNA complexes recruit co-factors that regulate transcription by inhibiting RNA Polymerase II, modifying histones, compacting chromatin and, in some organisms, methylating DNA. C. elegans has a longstanding history in unveiling the mechanisms of RNAi and has become an outstanding model to delineate the mechanisms underlying nuclear RNAi. In this review we highlight recent discoveries in the field of nuclear RNAi in C. elegans and the roles of nuclear RNAi in the regulation of gene expression, chromatin organization, genome stability, and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance.
RNA 干扰 (RNAi) 是一种高度保守的基因调控现象，AGO/sRNA 复合物通过反义互补靶向转录本，从而调节基因表达。尽管最初被认为是一种细胞质过程，但 RNAi 也可以发生在细胞核中，AGO/sRNA 复合物被招募到新生转录本上。核 AGO/sRNA 复合物招募共同因子，通过抑制 RNA 聚合酶 II、修饰组蛋白、浓缩染色质以及在某些生物体中甲基化 DNA 来调节转录。秀丽隐杆线虫在揭示 RNAi 机制方面有着悠久的历史，并且已成为描绘核 RNAi 机制的杰出模型。在这篇综述中，我们强调了秀丽隐杆线虫核 RNAi 领域的最新发现，以及核 RNAi 在基因表达调控、染色质组织、基因组稳定性和跨代表观遗传遗传中的作用。
