How many antiviral small interfering RNAs may be encoded by the mammalian genomes?

ABSTRACT:

Background

The discovery of RNA interference phenomenon (RNAi) and understanding of its mechanisms has revolutionized our views on many molecular processes in the living cell. Among the other, RNAi is involved in silencing of transposable elements and in inhibition of virus infection in various eukaryotic organisms. Recent experimental studies demonstrate few cases of viral replication suppression via complementary interactions between the mammalian small RNAs and viral transcripts.

Presentation of the hypothesis

It was found that >50% of the human genome is transcribed in different cell types and that these transcripts are mainly not associated with known protein coding genes, but represent non-coding RNAs of unknown functions. We propose a hypothesis that mammalian DNAs en

SUBMITTER: Zabolotneva A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2992506 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature