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Delving into the diversity of silencing pathways
Author(s) -
Dorner Silke,
Eulalio Ana,
Huntzinger Eric,
Izaurralde Elisa
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
embo reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.584
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1469-3178
pISSN - 1469-221X
DOI - 10.1038/sj.embor.7401015
Subject(s) - gene silencing , diversity (politics) , biology , evolutionary biology , computational biology , genetics , political science , gene , law
![][1] The Keystone Symposium on MicroRNAs and siRNAs: Biological Functions and Mechanisms took place between 28 January and 2 February 2007, in Keystone, Colorado, USA, and was organized by D. Bartel and S. Grewal.This Keystone Symposium highlighted the diversity of mechanisms by which small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are generated and regulate gene expression, and the diverse roles that microRNAs (miRNAs) have in development, cell differentiation and the pathogenesis of human diseases. Since the first meeting of this series in 2002, progress in the field has been remarkable. Crucial developments include the elucidation of steps in the biogenesis of repeat‐associated small interfering RNAs (rasiRNAs), new ideas about how siRNAs silence gene expression, how miRNAs repress translation, and the importance of siRNAs as tools in biological research and therapeutics.The discovery of siRNAs, which silence gene expression at the transcriptional and post‐transcriptional level in a sequence‐dependent manner, has revolutionized the biological sciences. Since their discovery, it has become apparent that various classes of siRNA exist, which differ in their origin and mode of biogenesis. They all associate with proteins of the Argonaute family, which mediate their functions. Multicellular organisms encode several Argonaute paralogues, which fall into two main clades: the Argonaute and the PIWI‐like proteins (Carmell et al , 2002). The elucidation of steps in the biogenetic pathway of small regulatory RNAs that associate with the PIWI‐like proteins was a highlight of this meeting.PIWI‐like proteins are required for the establishment and maintenance of the germline. In Drosophila , these proteins are thought to have a role in silencing retrotransposons and other repetitive genetic elements, thereby preserving the integrity of the genome. Last year, several groups reported that small RNAs associated with these proteins do not have the characteristic 21‐nucleotide length of miRNAs or siRNAs, but are 25–30 nucleotides in length (reviewed by … [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif