For many years, DNA and proteins have been viewed as
the real movers and shakers in genomic studies, with
RNA seen as little more than a messenger that shuttles
information between the two. But that view has changed
dramatically with the discovery of the key roles in
gene expression played by small RNA molecules called
microRNAs. Among recent findings, in 2005 Whitehead
Member David
Bartel and colleagues showed that microRNAs regulate
the expression of more than a third of human genes.
Such discoveries contribute to the recent interest
in potential therapeutic uses of RNA. Using a technique
known as RNA interference (RNAi), researchers are shutting
off genes by delivering into cells artificial microRNA-like
molecules called short interfering RNAs (siRNAs). RNAi
has transformed how many labs are investigating gene
functions, and siRNAs are being developed for clinical
applications.
Video
In this Director’s
Lecture for Nonscientists, Whitehead Member David
Bartel describes the connection between short interfering
RNAs and microRNAs. He also presents recent discoveries
in the microRNA field. [view QuickTime
video 220k56k]Video length: 56:00
