Terminal Duplex Stability and Nucleotide Identity Differentially Control siRNA Loading and Activity in RNA Interference.

ABSTRACT: Efficient short interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated gene silencing requires selection of a sequence that is complementary to the intended target and possesses sequence and structural features that encourage favorable functional interactions with the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway proteins. In this study, we investigated how terminal sequence and structural characteristics of siRNAs contribute to siRNA strand loading and silencing activity and how these characteristics ultimately result in a functionally asymmetric duplex in cultured HeLa cells. Our results reiterate that the most important characteristic in determining siRNA activity is the 5' terminal nucleotide identity. Our findings further suggest that siRNA loading is controlled principally by the hybridization stability of the 5' termi

SUBMITTER: Angart PA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5067871 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature