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Date of Award
Spring 2009
Document Type
Restricted Thesis: Campus only access
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Department
Biology
First Advisor
Dr. Scott Knight
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) is a potent gene silencing mechanism that is initiated by double stranded RNA (dsRNA) molecules. Silencing may occur either posttranscriptionally by degrading single stranded RNA (ssRNA) complementary to the initiating dsRNA molecule, or it may instead induce the formation of heterochromatin to silence pretranscriptionally. In either case, this mechanism is an exceptionally important mode of transcript regulation, and the further understanding of its mechanism has become an area of intense research since its recent discovery. RNAi was first discovered in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, and has subsequently been found in all eukaryotes tested; prokaryotes do not have the machinery required for RNAi. It has been estimated that more than one third of the human genome may be regulated by this mechanism – assigning a potential purpose to the previously labeled “junk” DNA that is not gene‐coding [1].
Recommended Citation
Milazzo, Leah, "A gene encoding an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase interacts with the HOX gen regulator pal-1" (2009). Honors Theses. 161.
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/honors-theses/161