RNA interference
Andrew Fire and Craig Mello studied how regulation of gene expression in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. They found that injecting mRNA which coded for a muscle protein did not change the worms' behaviour. Injecting complementary 'antisense' RNA, which could pair with the original 'sense' RNA also had no effect, but when the 'sense' and 'antisense' double RNA strand were injected together the worms' behaviour changed. They displayed twitching movements, similar to those noted in worms without the gene for the muscle protein.
In 1998 they published their method of degrading mRNA from a particular gene. Their technique, RNA interference, used double-stranded RNA molecules - sense and antisense pairs of RNA. These activated biochemical mechanisms in a cell that destroyed mRNA with the same code. When the mRNA was destroyed the particuar gene it related to was 'silenced'.
RNA interference occurs naturally in plants and animals, regulating gene expression, and helping to control viruses. The discovery of this process allowed its use as a scientific method to study the function of genes.
(yes)Tags
Research Fields: Cell biology, Genetics(yes - 2 items)Date: 2006 (required)
Scientist(s): Andrew Fire, Craig Mello (required)
Countries: United States of America(yes - 1 items)
Animals Used: Nematode worm(required - 1 items)
Description: The 2006 Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine was awarded to Andrew Fire and Craig Mello for their disocvery of RNA interference. (yes)
Medical Applications: Basic research(yes - 1 items)
