‘RNA interference (RNAi)’ technology has gained popularity in the last few years. Why?
1. It is used in developing gene-silencing therapies.
2. It can be used in developing therapies for the treatment of cancer.
3. It can be used to develop hormone replacement therapies.
4. It can be used to produce crop plants that are resistant to viral pathogens.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Explanation
RNA interference (RNAi) is a conserved biological mechanism in eukaryotic cells where double-stranded RNA molecules trigger the targeted degradation or translational repression of complementary messenger RNA (mRNA), resulting in gene silencing:
– 1. Gene-silencing therapies (Applicable): RNAi uses small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to selectively silence mutated or overexpressed disease-causing genes.
– 2. Cancer therapies (Applicable): Can down-regulate specific oncogenes and silence chemoresistance genes in malignant tumor cells.
– 4. Disease-resistant crop plants (Applicable): Used in agriculture (such as in transgenic tobacco and corn) to introduce double-stranded RNA that silences essential genes in invading viral pathogens and root-knot nematodes.
– 3. Hormone replacement therapies (Not applicable): Hormone replacement therapy involves administering synthetic or bio-identical hormone molecules (like estrogen or insulin), not down-regulating mRNA through RNA interference.
Hence, applications 1, 2, and 4 are correct — Option A.