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RNA Interference Regulates Intestinal Function

December 12, 2022

Via: GEN

A research team from the University of Cologne and collaborators has now shown that RNA interference, or RNAi for short, which is known to be a viral defense mechanism, also prevents the overproduction of the body’s own proteins in intestinal cells.

The study, “ER-associated RNA silencing promotes ER quality control,” was published in Nature Cell Biology.

“The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) coordinates mRNA translation and processing of secreted and endomembrane proteins,” wrote the researchers. “ER-associated degradation (ERAD) prevents the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the ER, but the physiological regulation of this process remains poorly characterized. Here, in a genetic screen using an ERAD model substrate in Caenorhabditis elegans, we identified an anti-viral RNA interference pathway, referred to as ER-associated RNA silencing (ERAS), which acts together with ERAD to preserve ER homeostasis and function.”

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