Work

RNA Interference in Fungi: Pathways, Functions, and Applications

Year: 2011

Type: review

Abstract: Small RNA molecules of about 20 to 30 nucleotides function in gene regulation and genomic defense via conserved eukaryotic RNA interference (RNAi)-related pathways. The RNAi machinery consists of three core components: Dicer, Argonaute, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. In fungi, the RNAi-related pathways have three major functions: genomic defense, heterochromatin formation, and gene regulation. Studies of Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Neurospora, and other fungi have uncovered surprisingly diverse small RNA biogenesis pathways, suggesting that fungi utilize RNAi-related pathways in various cellular processes to adapt to different environmental conditions. These studies also provided important insights into how RNAi functions in eukaryotic systems in general. In this review, we will discuss our current understanding of the fungal RNAi-related pathways and their functions, with a focus on filamentous fungi. We will also discuss how RNAi can be used as a tool in fungal research.

Source: Eukaryotic Cell

DOI: 10.1128/ec.05109-11

Authors: Yunkun Dang, Qiuying Yang, Zhihong Xue, Yi Liu

Institution: The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Language: English

Topic: Fungal and yeast genetics research

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: diamond

Funders: Welch Foundation, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Awards: G3877059514, Mechanism and functions of small RNA pathways in Neurospora