In eukaryotes, RNA silencing suppresses gene expression through sequence-specific interactions involving endogenous small RNAs. Although our understanding of the diversity, biogenesis and function of these regulatory RNAs is growing rapidly, their evolutionary origin is not well understood. Now, a new study of plants uncovers an important role for inverted duplication of small RNA target genes in the origin of new regulatory RNAs.
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Voinnet, O. Shaping small RNAs in plants by gene duplication. Nat Genet 36, 1245–1246 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng1204-1245
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ng1204-1245
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