Duplexes of 21-nucleotide RNAs mediate RNA interference in cultured mammalian cells

Sayda M. Elbashir, Jens Harborth, Winfried Lendeckel, Abdullah Yalcin, Klaus Weber and Thomas Tuschl ()
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Sayda M. Elbashir: Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry
Jens Harborth: Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry
Winfried Lendeckel: Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry
Abdullah Yalcin: Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry
Klaus Weber: Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry
Thomas Tuschl: Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry

Nature, 2001, vol. 411, issue 6836, 494-498

Abstract: Abstract RNA interference (RNAi) is the process of sequence-specific, post-transcriptional gene silencing in animals and plants, initiated by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) that is homologous in sequence to the silenced gene1,2,3,4. The mediators of sequence-specific messenger RNA degradation are 21- and 22-nucleotide small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) generated by ribonuclease III cleavage from longer dsRNAs5,6,7,8,9. Here we show that 21-nucleotide siRNA duplexes specifically suppress expression of endogenous and heterologous genes in different mammalian cell lines, including human embryonic kidney (293) and HeLa cells. Therefore, 21-nucleotide siRNA duplexes provide a new tool for studying gene function in mammalian cells and may eventually be used as gene-specific therapeutics.

Date: 2001
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DOI: 10.1038/35078107

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