University of Massachusetts Medical School Faculty Publications
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology
Publication Date
2000-03-31
Document Type
Article
Subjects
Adenosine Triphosphate; Animals; Base Sequence; Binding Sites; Drosophila; Molecular Sequence Data; Nucleotides; Protein Biosynthesis; RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional; RNA, Antisense; RNA, Double-Stranded; RNA, Messenger; RNA, Small Interfering
Disciplines
Molecular Biology | Molecular Genetics
Abstract
Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) directs the sequence-specific degradation of mRNA through a process known as RNA interference (RNAi). Using a recently developed Drosophila in vitro system, we examined the molecular mechanism underlying RNAi. We find that RNAi is ATP dependent yet uncoupled from mRNA translation. During the RNAi reaction, both strands of the dsRNA are processed to RNA segments 21-23 nucleotides in length. Processing of the dsRNA to the small RNA fragments does not require the targeted mRNA. The mRNA is cleaved only within the region of identity with the dsRNA. Cleavage occurs at sites 21-23 nucleotides apart, the same interval observed for the dsRNA itself, suggesting that the 21-23 nucleotide fragments from the dsRNA are guiding mRNA cleavage.
Rights and Permissions
Publisher PDF posted as allowed by the publisher's Open Access Archive policy at http://www.elsevier.com/about/open-access/open-access-policies?a=120972.
DOI of Published Version
10.1016/S0092-8674(00)80620-0
Source
Zamore PD, Tuschl T, Sharp PA, Bartel DP. RNAi: double-stranded RNA directs the ATP-dependent cleavage of mRNA at 21 to 23 nucleotide intervals. Cell. 2000 Mar 31;101(1):25-33. doi:10.1016/S0092-8674(00)80620-0. Link to article on publisher's website
Related Resources
Journal/Book/Conference Title
Cell
PubMed ID
10778853
Repository Citation
Zamore, Phillip D.; Tuschl, Thomas; Sharp, Phillip A.; and Bartel, David P., "RNAi: double-stranded RNA directs the ATP-dependent cleavage of mRNA at 21 to 23 nucleotide intervals" (2000). University of Massachusetts Medical School Faculty Publications. 254.
https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/faculty_pubs/254