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Effective Gene Knockdown in the Drosophila Germline by Artificial miRNA-Mimicking siRNAs

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PIWI-Interacting RNAs

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1093))

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Abstract

Gene knockdown using double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is a powerful tool to characterize gene function in Drosophila. The Drosophila germline provides an elegant model to study the regulation of numerous processes, such as stem cell fate, gametogenesis, piRNA, and piRNA-related gene functions. However, for unknown reasons, traditional dsRNA gene knockdown has not been successful in the germline. Here, we establish a simple gene silencing method for the Drosophila germline by the generation of artificial miRNA-mimicking siRNAs. This method, which is different from that of classical dsRNA, mimics natural miRNA biogenesis and enables the analysis of gene functions specifically in the Drosophila germline.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Hailong Wang, Haidong Huang & Dahua Chen

Authors
  1. Hailong Wang
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  2. Haidong Huang
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  3. Dahua Chen
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Tokyo Dept of Biophysics & Biochemistry, Tokyo, Japan

    Mikiko C. Siomi

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Wang, H., Huang, H., Chen, D. (2014). Effective Gene Knockdown in the Drosophila Germline by Artificial miRNA-Mimicking siRNAs. In: Siomi, M. (eds) PIWI-Interacting RNAs. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1093. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-694-8_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-694-8_18

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-62703-693-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-62703-694-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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