Development of RNA interference in zebrafish

描述（由申请人提供）：功能基因组学需要可靠的方法来研究破坏基因功能的后果。自从它在C。RNA干扰（RNAi）已成为解决细胞培养、哺乳动物和无脊椎动物模型系统中基因功能的宝贵资源。然而，将这一技术应用于斑马鱼和爪蟾是一个重大的挑战。在本提案中，我们将运用我们在microRNA （miRNA）领域的现有知识来开发几种改进RNAi的策略。该提案将为科学界提供具体的规则，以改进斑马鱼的RNAi，从而允许斑马鱼基因的功能表征。在未来，这个项目的结果将为理解脊椎动物基因的结构和功能建立一个框架。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Functional genomics requires reliable methods to investigate the consequences of disrupting the gene function. Since its discovery in C .elegans, RNA interference (RNAi) has become an invaluable resource to tackle gene function in cell culture, mammals and invertebrate model systems. However, but it has proven a major challenge to apply this technique in zebrafish and Xenopus. In this proposal we will apply our current knowledge in the microRNA (miRNA) field to develop several strategies that improve RNAi. This proposal will provide specific rules to the scientific community to improve RNAi in zebrafish to allow the functional characterization of the zebrafish genes. In the future, the resuls derived from this project will establish a frame work to understand the structure and the function of vertebrate genes.