Role and application of RNA interference in replication of influenza viruses

Abstract

RNA interference (RNAi) is a naturally occurring endogenous biological post-transcriptional cellular mechanism that regulates RNA expression. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), mediators of RNAi, are short (19-26nt), double-stranded RNA duplexes that inhibit gene expression by inducing sequence-specific degradation of homologous messenger RNA (mRNA). Influenza virus infection is a major public health problem, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide each year. RNAi have provided a means to performing genome-wide screens to determine and validate host cell genes that may be required for influenza replication and treatment with siRNA specific to regions of the influenza genes which can inhibit influenza virus replication. Moreover, influenza virus is using small RNA in the regulation of virus replication and in modulation of the innate immune signalling system of the host.

Keywords: influenza virus; RNA interference; siRNA; miRNA; replication; transcription.