Key feature of RNA Interference (RNAi)

1. Presence of double stranded RNA (dsRNA) in cell.
2. Binding of siRNA to complementary mRNA in the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC).
3. Degradation of the mRNA by argonaute, the catalytic component of the RISC.

Definitions

• RNA interfererence (RNAi) describes the post-transcriptional silencing of gene expression that occurs in reponse to the introduction of double-stranded RNA into cells. Vanhecke D & Janitz M. Functional genomics using high-throughput RNA interference. Drug Discovery Today, Vol 10, No 3, pp 205-211.

• RNA interference refers to the process by which dsRNA molecules silence a target gene through the specific destruction of its mRNA. Echeverri C & Perrimon N. High-throughput RNAi screening in cultured cells: auser's guide. 2006, Nature Reviews, Vol 7; 373-383
  
  
• RNA interference. A natural cellular mechanism by which RNA is recognized as “foreign” due to its existence in a double-stranded form. This results in the degradation of the double-stranded RNA, along with single-stranded RNA having the same sequence.- www.sirna.com/glossary.html

• Post-transcriptional gene silencing that regulates gene expression.- www.jco.org/cgi/glossarylookup

• RNA interference is a recently discovered functional tool. This is a phenomenon where an RNA introduced to a cell ultimately causes the degradation of the complementary cellular mRNA, and leads to the knockdown of gene activity.- www.invitrogen.com/content.cfm

• The use of long double stranded chains of ribonucleic acids to interfere and thus silence the expression of target genes- www.vastox.com/research/glossary.html

• RNA interference: A gene silencing phenomenon whereby double-stranded RNAs trigger the specific degradation of a homologous mRNA. The specific dsRNAs are processed into small interfering RNA (siRNA) which serves as a guide for cleavage of the homologous mRNA in the RNA- induced silencing complex (RISC). Useful as an application for specific suppression of an individual gene.- www.uark.edu/ua/ricecap/ricecapgloss.htm

• In molecular biology, RNA interference (RNAi) is a mechanism in which the presence of small fragments of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) whose sequence matches a given gene interferes with the expression of that gene.- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNAi

• RNA interference (RNAi) is a post-transcriptional gene silencing method reproducing a naturally occurring phenomena. RNAi is the process whereby double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) induces the sequence-specific degradation of homologous mRNA. RNAi or dsRNA-induced silencing phenomena are present in evolutionarily diverse organisms, e.g., nematodes, plants, fungi, and trypanosomes. The mechanisms by which RNAi works is initiated by a progressive cleavage of dsRNA into 21 to 23 nucleotide (nt) short interfering RNAs (siRNAs). These native siRNA duplexes are then incorporated into a protein complex called RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). ATP-dependent unwinding of the siRNA duplex generates an active RISC complex. Guided by the antisense strand of siRNA, the active RISC complex recognizes and cleaves the corresponding mRNA. PSI Molecular Interaction Ontology 2.5

• A gene silencing phenomenon whereby specific dsRNAs ( RNA, DOUBLE-STRANDED) trigger the degradation of homologous mRNA ( RNA, MESSENGER). The specific dsRNAs are processed into SMALL INTERFERING RNA (siRNA) which serves as a guide for cleavage of the homologous mRNA in the RNA-INDUCED SILENCING COMPLEX. DNA METHYLATION may also be triggered during this process. National Library of Medicine - Medical Subject Headings

• A conserved biological response to double-stranded RNA, known variously as RNA interference (RNAi) or post-transcriptional gene silencing, mediates resistance to both endogenous parasitic and exogenous pathogenic nucleic acids, and regulates the expression of protein-coding genes. RNAi has been cultivated as a means to manipulate gene expression experimentally and to probe gene function on a whole-genome scale. Hannon G.J. RNA interference; Nature. 2002 Jul 11;418(6894):244-51.