RNA interference is a natural genetic mechanism that protects cells from viruses and can silence specific genes. It is a valuable research tool in biotechnology and could be used in medical therapies. Small interfering RNA strands guide proteins to target mRNA, silencing specific genes. RNA interference has potential for curing diseases and creating poison-free crops.
RNA interference is a natural genetic mechanism found in most plants and animals. Its function is to protect the cellular machinery from invasion and exploitation by viruses and other foreign genetic material. RNA interference can silence specific genes, making it a valuable research tool in biotechnology research and even next-generation medical therapies. For example, if we could use RNA interference to silence the genes responsible for slow metabolism, we could enable people to lose weight without forcing them to diet or fighting against their natural dietary tendencies.
Recall that viruses reproduce by inserting their genetic material into a host’s genome, reprogramming it to pump out copies of the virus. After a few hundred viruses have been produced by the cell’s genetic machinery, it explodes, releasing more virions which go on to infect other cells. The main point of RNA interference is to suppress certain sections of the genome so that viruses cannot exploit it to make copies.
Most organisms have a genome that produces messenger RNA that continues to instruct the cell’s protein-making machinery to create various proteins. RNA interference consists of special segments of RNA, called small interfering RNA (siRNA) strands that have nucleotide sequences that are complementary to the targeted RNA strand. These complementary strands act as a targeting mechanism that guides proteins to their chosen mRNA, dicing long double-stranded RNA molecules into fragments that cannot be translated into proteins. In this way, specific genes can be silenced.
Today, the use of RNA interference for biotechnological and therapeutic purposes is a hot research area. RNA interference used to selectively suppress desired genes is a form of genetic engineering. Imagine curing or making progress toward a cure for AIDS, hepatitis, and influenza, all by selectively suppressing the expression of viral genomes. By making full use of RNA interference, we may be able to create poison-free cottonseeds – they possess large amounts of protein but natural cottonseeds are poisonous – carcinogen-free tobacco and plants with extreme resistance to viruses that destroy crops. RNA interference is an invaluable method in the biotech toolbox that will continue to usher in the biotech revolution for the 21st century.
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