Systemic RNAi in <i>C. elegans</i> Requires the Putative Transmembrane Protein SID-1

TLDR

In Caenorhabditis elegans, systemic RNAi silences gene expression throughout the organism, and the sid‑1 locus encodes a conserved protein with predicted transmembrane domains. The study aims to investigate how gene‑specific silencing signals are transmitted between cells by creating a strain that visualizes systemic RNAi. The authors constructed a strain enabling visualization of systemic RNAi and used it to identify sid loci required for spreading gene‑silencing signals between tissues, but not for initiating or maintaining RNAi. SID‑1 is expressed in RNAi‑sensitive cells, localizes to the cell periphery, and is required cell‑autonomously for systemic RNAi.

Abstract

Double-stranded RNA-mediated gene interference (RNAi) in Caenorhabditis elegans systemically inhibits gene expression throughout the organism. To investigate how gene-specific silencing information is transmitted between cells, we constructed a strain that permits visualization of systemic RNAi. We used this strain to identify systemic RNA interference–deficient ( sid ) loci required to spread gene-silencing information between tissues but not to initiate or maintain an RNAi response. One of these loci, sid-1 , encodes a conserved protein with predicted transmembrane domains. SID-1 is expressed in cells sensitive to RNAi, is localized to the cell periphery, and is required cell-autonomously for systemic RNAi.