interferenssiRNA

InterferenssiRNA, often shortened to siRNA, is a small double-stranded RNA molecule approximately 21-25 nucleotides in length. It plays a crucial role in the biological process known as RNA interference (RNAi). RNAi is a natural cellular mechanism that regulates gene expression by silencing target messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules.

The process begins when a double-stranded RNA, either endogenous or exogenous, is processed by an enzyme called Dicer into siRNA fragments. These siRNA molecules are then incorporated into a protein complex called the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). Within the RISC, the passenger strand of the siRNA is cleaved and discarded, leaving the guide strand. This guide strand is then used to recognize and bind to a complementary sequence on a target mRNA molecule.

Once the siRNA-guided RISC complex binds to the target mRNA, it leads to the degradation of that mRNA, thereby preventing it from being translated into a protein. This effectively silences the gene corresponding to the targeted mRNA. Due to its specificity and ability to silence gene expression, siRNA has become a powerful tool in molecular biology research and is being explored for therapeutic applications to treat various diseases by targeting specific disease-causing genes.