Challenges of small RNA technology

• Plant small RNAs are largely non-coding, regulatory RNAs that act with a sequence-specific binding capacity to regulate target gene expression, either before transcription, a process called transcriptional gene silencing (TGS), or after transcription, a process called post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) or RNA interference (RNAi), in general. Emerging evidence from high-throughput sequencing technologies leads us in characterizing several categories and groups of small RNAs. They play essential roles in complex biological processes under various physiological conditions. Small RNA-mediated gene silencing has been proven as a promising and powerful genetic tool for the improvement of crop plants and agriculture. It has emerged as a means to probe the function of a gene of interest on a whole-genome scale. Parallel to the enormous potential and applications, this technology has met with several new challenges, such as the off-target effects, delivery of optimum and sufficient small RNAs at the targeted cells, its measure for persistence in the environment, and several ethical issues.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Genetik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Genetics (hsv//eng)

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kap (subject category)