Review Paper

RNA Interference and its Application in Crop Improvement

Matt Williams, Gregory Clark, Kanagasabapathi Sathasivan and Ahmed S. Islam

Department of Molecular, Cell and Development Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX 78712, U.S.A.

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The discovery of RNA interference (RNAi) in mid-ninety?s added a new dimension in the regulation of gene expression by different types of RNA. It soon caught the worldwide attention and a number of reviews have been published to describe the RNAi phenomenon both in plants and animals. The technology became a powerful tool to understand the functions of individual genes and also proved useful for molecular breeders to produce improved crop varieties. This review article summarizes the historical background of RNAi, describes the role of different classes of RNA molecules, particularly of ds (double stranded) RNAs, hp (hairpin) RNAs, siRNAs and mi (micro) RNAs and two important polymerase III enzymes, namely, Dicer and RISC (RNA-induced Silencing Complex) that help RNAi?s carry out its function through a unique process. The article gives a few plant examples in which this technology has been successfully used to produce improved crop varieties and to analyze gene function. Finally, pointing out that this proven technology is freely available to research scientists, the article advocates that more and more laboratories both in developed and developing countries use this powerful tool to understand the functions of plant genes and improve crop production.

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