Roles of Artificial MicroRNA in Plant Gene Silencing: A Review

Aside from the roles performed by RNA in protein synthesis, where they serve as the mobile carriers of information coded by the DNA (aptly called messenger RNAs), they are known to participate in gene silencing events. Short, single stranded RNAs have been shown to perform a variety of roles in controlling gene expression as well as in the destruction of foreign genomes (like viral genomes). Scientists can deactivate specific genes by generating RNA segments (artificial microRNA) with nucleotide sequences corresponding to the genes of interest. A review paper published by the Plant Journal discusses the current use of artificial microRNAs in gene silencing.

Stephan Ossowski and Rebecca Schwab from the Max Planck Institute of Developmental Biology enumerated the unique applications of artificial microRNAs in the control of gene expression. These include gene silencing in non-model organisms, silencing of duplicated genes (important in crop plants with several sets of chromosomes), transient silencing, and engineering disease resistance. They concluded that gene silencing using artificial microRNA, although relatively a new method, appears to be as effective and versatile, and even more specific than conventional RNAi.

The article published by the Plant Journal is available for free at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/action/showPdf?submitPDF=Full+Text+PDF+%28501+KB%29&doi=10.1111%2Fj.1365-313X.2007.03328.x