Double-stranded RNA-mediated gene silencing in fission yeast

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Abstract
Double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) can specifically inhibit gene expression in a variety of organisms by invoking post‐transcriptional degradation of homologous mRNA. Here we show that dsRNA‐mediated gene regulation also occurs in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. We present evidence that: (i) reporter gene silencing is significantly enhanced when additional non‐coding sense RNA is co‐expressed with antisense RNA; (ii) expression of a panhandle RNA also silences target gene expression; (iii) expression of dsRNA is associated with siRNAs; (iv) a novel host‐encoded factor which enhances antisense RNA gene silencing also enhances panhandle RNA‐mediated gene inhibition. Both the exogenously introduced lacZ and c‐myc genes are shown to be susceptible to dsRNA‐ mediated gene silencing in this model. Taken together, these data indicate that RNA‐mediated gene silencing can occur through a RNAi‐like mechanism in fission yeast.