Gene regulation through RNA interference can be described by which of ...
Small interfering RNAs are a class of double stranded RNA molecules, which play important roles in gene silencing through RNA interference pathway. Structurally, they are formed after long dsRNA is cleaved by enzyme Dicer. Once siRNA enters inside the cell through transfection, it is incorporated into other proteins to form RISC (RNA induced silencing complex). Inside the RISC, siRNA is unwound to form ssRNA. The ssRNA, which is a part of RISC scans and finds a complementary mRNA and induces its cleavage and thus silences the corresponding gene.
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Gene regulation through RNA interference can be described by which of ...
RNA Interference Process
RNA interference (RNAi) is a process in which small RNA molecules inhibit gene expression by targeting specific mRNA molecules. This regulation process is carried out by the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC).
RISC Binding to siRNAs
- In RNA interference, RISC is bound to small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) which are typically 20-25 nucleotides long.
- These siRNAs are double-stranded RNA molecules that are processed and loaded onto RISC.
Complementary Binding to mRNA
- The RISC-bound siRNAs then guide the complex to complementary sequences on target mRNA molecules.
- This binding of siRNAs to the mRNA leads to the cleavage of the mRNA by the RISC enzyme.
RISC Cleavage of mRNA
- The RISC enzyme cleaves the target mRNA at specific sites, leading to the degradation of the mRNA molecule.
- As a result, the targeted gene's expression is silenced, as the mRNA molecule cannot be translated into protein.
Gene Silencing
- Silencing by RNA interference involves the specific binding of small RNAs to target genes, leading to the inactivation of these genes.
- This process allows for precise regulation of gene expression and can be utilized for various research and therapeutic applications.