出典:Wikipedia
出典:『Wikipedia』 (2011/05/18 12:26 UTC 版)
Small interfering RNA (siRNA), sometimes known as short interfering RNA or silencing RNA, is a class of double-stranded RNA molecules, 20-25 nucleotides in length, that play a variety of roles in biology. The most notable role of siRNA is its involvement in the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway, where it interferes with the expression of a specific gene. In addition to its role in the RNAi pathway, siRNA also acts in RNAi-related pathways, e.g., as an antiviral mechanism or in shaping the chromatin structure of a genome; the complexity of these pathways is only now being elucidated.