Post-transcriptional gene silencing: RNA interference

RNA interference(RNAi) is first discovered in C.elegans in 1998 and was identified to be involved in Post transcriptional gene silencing. It degrades mRNA specifically into siRNA through the mediation of corresponding double stranded RNA, leading to the suppression of specific gene expression. Also, RNAi exists in many species from eukayotic organisams such as fungi to plant, from invertebraet to mammalian. In this paper, recent advances of the molecular mechanism of gene silencing and RNAi, the RNAi technique and it's application were reviewed. The discovery of RNAi and the following studies on the molecular mechanism lead to the development of new strategies for blocking gene function and may yield RNA based genotherapy for human disease.