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Are small RNAs a big help to plants?

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Abstract

The discovery of RNA interference (RNAi) has augmented our knowledge of gene regulation and presents a fascinating technology that has a great potential for application in genetic analysis, disease therapy, plant protection, and many other areas. In this review, we will focus on the biological functions of RNAi and its application in agriculture with a brief introduction to the history of its discovery and molecular mechanism.

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  1. National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China

    YingBo Mao, XueYi Xue & XiaoYa Chen

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  1. YingBo Mao
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  2. XueYi Xue
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Correspondence to XiaoYa Chen.

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Supported by National Natural Sciences of China (Grant No. 30630008) and National Key Basic Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2007CB108800).

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Mao, Y., Xue, X. & Chen, X. Are small RNAs a big help to plants?. SCI CHINA SER C 52, 212–223 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-009-0034-3

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