Endogenous small interfering RNAs in animals

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Abstract
An endogenous small interfering RNA (endo-siRNA) pathway had only previously been characterized in worms. The recent discovery of diverse intramolecular and intermolecular substrates that generate endo-siRNAs in flies and mice raise many questions regarding the biogenesis and function of small regulatory RNAs in animals. Until recently, only nematodes among animals had a well-defined endogenous small interfering RNA (endo-siRNA) pathway. This has changed dramatically with the recent discovery of diverse intramolecular and intermolecular substrates that generate endo-siRNAs in Drosophila melanogaster and mice. These findings suggest broad and possibly conserved roles for endogenous RNA interference in regulating host-gene expression and transposable element transcripts. They also raise many questions regarding the biogenesis and function of small regulatory RNAs in animals.