Using RNA Interference to Knock-Down Lis1, Gl, and Ard1 in Drosophila
Tramy Truong
Mentor: Rahul Warrior
One method to study a gene’s function is to knock out the expression of the gene and observe the
phenotype. A common technique to reduce the wild-type expression level of a specific gene is the use of the
RNA interference system. RNA interference, or RNAi, is a system in which small interfering RNA molecules
(siRNAs) function to inactivate gene expression by degrading mRNAs of the gene of interest and, thereby,
blocking translation. However, not all genes are susceptible to RNAi silencing, and confidence in this system
remains low among researchers. This experiment tested the efficiency of the RNAi system in Drosophila using
genes with known functions: Lis1, Gl, and Ard1. The GAL4/UAS system was used to express the RNAi in a
tissue-specific manner. By comparing observed phenotypes to known phenotypes, the RNAi system was
revealed to be effective at down regulating Lis1, Gl, and Ard1 genes in the germline. Validating RNAi
efficiency will not only provide scientists with a certainty that the system works, but will also allow them to
apply the system in other tissues with unknown phenotype to learn about the gene’s role in that specific
tissue.