RNA sets the standard

摘要

Genome-sequencing projects provide a tremendous amount of information about the genetic make-up of an organism. One of the most obvious types of data to be gleaned from these ventures is a list of genes: for instance, the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans―the first animal to have its genome sequenced―has a predicted 19,757 genes that code for proteins. A list won't tell you what these proteins do, however, and one way of starting to find out is to inactivate the genes, one at a time, and see what happens. As they describe on page 231 of this issue, Kamath and colleagues have done just that, using double-stranded RNAs to rapidly and transiently inactivate 16,757 of the worm's predicted protein-coding genes. Meanwhile, Ashrafi and co-workers (page 268) have analysed these genes specifically to see if they have a role in regulating body fat. Together, their work sets a new standard for systematic, genome-wide genetic studies.