This web page was produced as an assignment for Genetics 677, an undergraduate course at UW-Madison.
RNAi Phenotypes
RNA interference (RNAi) is a process by which targeted genes are suppressed in a living organism through the use of small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules that bind with the gene of interest. This technique is useful in understanding gene function, especially when used in the C. elegans model. Through the online database Wormbase, I found a series of RNAi experiments that silenced the parkin ortholog in C. elegans, pdr-1 (1). The following abnormal phenotypes were observed from each experiment:
Experiment ID: Phenotype:
WBRNAi00006968 post embryonic development variant
WBRNAi00076560 protein aggragation variant
WBRNAi00034134 larval arrest, embryonic lethal
WBRNAi00007156 protuding vulva, locomotion variant, sterile
Experiment ID: Phenotype:
WBRNAi00006968 post embryonic development variant
WBRNAi00076560 protein aggragation variant
WBRNAi00034134 larval arrest, embryonic lethal
WBRNAi00007156 protuding vulva, locomotion variant, sterile
Analysis
The C. elegans RNAi experiments demonstrate that parkin homologs have similar ubiquitination functions in other animals, namely the removal of protein aggregates. Thus, model organisms can provide an important tool for studying parkin pathways. RNAi experiments could also be done in vitro, which would examine the effects of parkin down regulation on the cell.
References
1. Wormbase. http://www.wormbase.org
