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New tool for an old problem: can RNAi efficiently resolve the issue of genetic redundancy?
Author(s) -
Kan Lixin,
Kessler John A.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/bies.20172
Subject(s) - rna interference , redundancy (engineering) , drosophila melanogaster , enhancer , biology , computational biology , gene , genetics , computer science , gene expression , rna , operating system
RNA interference (RNAi) has become a generally accepted tool for inhibiting gene expression in many laboratory organisms. Nagel et al.,1 in a recent paper, give an example of how this tool can also be used to address the question of genetic redundancy. Their focus was on the redundancy in Drosophila melanogaster of the Enhancer of split gene complex [E(spl)‐C] which comprises seven highly related genes. Their somewhat conflicting findings are probably the typical scenario for most RNAi experiments: some expected results and some surprises. BioEssays 27:14–16, 2005. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.