CGC Bibliography Paper 5171

Systemic RNAi in C. elegans requires the putative transmembrane protein SID-1.

Winston WM, Molodowitch C, Hunter CP

Medline:

11834782

Citation:

Science 295: 2456-2459 2002

Type:

ARTICLE

Genes:

mex-3 mex-6 myo-2 myo-3 rde-1 rde-4 sid-1 sid-2 sid-3 unc-22 unc-54

Abstract:

Double-stranded RNA-mediated gene interference (RNAi) in Caenorhabditis elegans systemically inhibits gene expression throughout the organism. To investigate how gene-specific silencing information is transmitted between cells, we constructed a strain that permits visualization of systemic RNAi. We used this strain to identify systemic RNA interference-deficient (sid) loci required to spread gene-silencing information between tissues but not to initiate or maintain an RNAi response. One of these loci, sid-1, encodes a conserved protein with predicted transmembrane domains. SID-1 is expressed in cells sensitive to RNAi, is localized to the cell periphery, and is required cell-autonomously for systemic RNAi.