Canonical RNA interference (RNAi) is sequence-specific mRNA degradation guided by small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) made by RNase III Dicer from long double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). RNAi roles include gene regulation, antiviral immunity or defense against transposable elements. In mammals, RNAi is constrained by Dicer's adaptation to produce another small RNA class-microRNAs. However, a truncated Dicer isoform (ΔHEL1) supporting RNAi exists in mouse oocytes. A homozygous mutation to express only the truncated ΔHEL1 variant causes dysregulation of microRNAs and perinatal lethality in mice. Here, we report the phenotype and canonical RNAi activity in DicerΔHEL1/wt mice, which are viable, show minimal miRNome changes, but their endogenous siRNA levels are an order of magnitude higher. We show that siRNA production in vivo is limited by available dsRNA, but not by Protein kinase R, a dsRNA sensor of innate immunity. dsRNA expression from a transgene yields sufficient siRNA levels to induce efficient RNAi in heart and muscle. DicerΔHEL1/wt mice with enhanced canonical RNAi offer a platform for examining potential and limits of mammalian RNAi in vivo.

• Klíčová slova
• Dicer, Mirtron, PKR, dsRNA, siRNA,
• MeSH
• DEAD-box RNA-helikasy genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• dvouvláknová RNA * metabolismus   genetika   MeSH
• malá interferující RNA * genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• mikro RNA genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• myši MeSH
• protein - isoformy genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• ribonukleasa III * genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• RNA interference * MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• myši MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• DEAD-box RNA-helikasy MeSH
• Dicer1 protein, mouse MeSH Prohlížeč
• dvouvláknová RNA * MeSH
• malá interferující RNA * MeSH
• mikro RNA MeSH
• protein - isoformy MeSH
• ribonukleasa III * MeSH

In mammals, double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) can mediate sequence-specific RNA interference, activate sequence-independent interferon response, or undergo RNA editing by adenosine deaminases. We showed that long hairpin dsRNA expression had negligible effects on mammalian somatic cells--expressed dsRNA was slightly edited, poorly processed into siRNAs, and it did not activate the interferon response. At the same time, we noticed reduced reporter expression in transient co-transfections, which was presumably induced by expressed dsRNA. Since transient co-transfections are frequently used for studying gene function, we systematically explored the role of expressed dsRNA in this silencing phenomenon. We demonstrate that dsRNA expressed from transiently transfected plasmids strongly inhibits the expression of co-transfected reporter plasmids but not the expression of endogenous genes or reporters stably integrated in the genome. The inhibition is concentration-dependent, it is found in different cell types, and it is independent of transfection method and dsRNA sequence. The inhibition occurs at the level of translation and involves protein kinase R, which binds the expressed dsRNA. Thus, dsRNA expression represents a hidden danger in transient transfection experiments and must be taken into account during interpretation of experimental results.

• MeSH
• buňky 3T3 MeSH
• dvouvláknová RNA metabolismus   MeSH
• HEK293 buňky MeSH
• HeLa buňky MeSH
• imunoprecipitace MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• malá interferující RNA genetika   MeSH
• myši MeSH
• plazmidy genetika   MeSH
• protein-serin-threoninkinasy metabolismus   MeSH
• průtoková cytometrie MeSH
• regulace genové exprese genetika   MeSH
• reportérové geny genetika   MeSH
• transfekce metody   MeSH
• western blotting MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• dvouvláknová RNA MeSH
• malá interferující RNA MeSH
• protein-serin-threoninkinasy MeSH

Transient plasmid transfection is a common approach in studies in cultured mammalian cells. To examine behavior of transfected plasmids, we analyzed their transcriptional landscape by deep sequencing. We have found that the entire plasmid sequence is transcribed at different levels. Spurious transcription may have undesirable effects as some plasmids, when co-transfected, inhibited expression of luciferase reporters in a dose-dependent manner. In one case, we attributed this effect to a Kan/Neo resistance cassette, which generated a unique population of edited sense and antisense small RNAs. The unexpected complexity of expression from transiently transfected plasmids underscores the importance of appropriate experimental controls.

• MeSH
• antisense RNA genetika   MeSH
• buněčné linie MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• plazmidy genetika   MeSH
• průtoková cytometrie MeSH
• vysoce účinné nukleotidové sekvenování metody   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antisense RNA MeSH

Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) can enter different pathways in mammalian cells, including sequence-specific RNA interference (RNAi), sequence-independent interferon (IFN) response and editing by adenosine deaminases. To study the routing of dsRNA to these pathways in vivo, we used transgenic mice ubiquitously expressing from a strong promoter, an mRNA with a long hairpin in its 3'-UTR. The expressed dsRNA neither caused any developmental defects nor activated the IFN response, which was inducible only at high expression levels in cultured cells. The dsRNA was poorly processed into siRNAs in somatic cells, whereas, robust RNAi effects were found in oocytes, suggesting that somatic cells lack some factor(s) facilitating siRNA biogenesis. Expressed dsRNA did not cause transcriptional silencing in trans. Analysis of RNA editing revealed that a small fraction of long dsRNA is edited. RNA editing neither prevented the cytoplasmic localization nor processing into siRNAs. Thus, a long dsRNA structure is well tolerated in mammalian cells and is mainly causing a robust RNAi response in oocytes.

• MeSH
• adenosin metabolismus   MeSH
• buněčné linie MeSH
• deaminace MeSH
• dvouvláknová RNA metabolismus   MeSH
• editace RNA MeSH
• geny mos MeSH
• interferony metabolismus   MeSH
• kultivované buňky MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• myši transgenní MeSH
• myši MeSH
• oocyty metabolismus   MeSH
• RNA interference * MeSH
• umlčování genů MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• myši MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• adenosin MeSH
• dvouvláknová RNA MeSH
• interferony MeSH