RNAi: Gene Regulation via miRNAs & siRNAs

The video tutorial explains RNA interference, focusing on microRNAs and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) as key regulators of gene expression post-transcriptionally. It details the synthesis, processing, and function of microRNAs, including their export from the nucleus and interaction with the RISC complex in the cytoplasm. The tutorial highlights the role of Argonaute in unwinding RNA strands and the mechanisms by which siRNAs can lead to mRNA degradation or translation repression, depending on the degree of complementarity. The importance of this pathway is underscored by its discovery in C. elegans, which earned a Nobel Prize.

What are the consequences of perfect complementarity between small interfering RNA and mRNA?

In what way does the RISC complex inhibit translation when there is near-perfect complementarity?

What is the significance of the three prime untranslated region of mRNA in the context of translation repression?

Summarize the overall importance of RNA interference in gene expression.