RNA Silencing: The Genome's Immune System
Abstract
Genomes are databases sensitive to invasion by viruses. In recent years, a defense mechanism has been discovered, which turns out to be conserved among eukaryotes. The system can be compared to the immune system in several ways: It has specificity against foreign elements and the ability to amplify and raise a massive response against an invading nucleic acid. The latter property is beginning to be understood at the molecular level.
- Publication:
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Science
- Pub Date:
- May 2002
- DOI:
- 10.1126/science.1072148
- Bibcode:
- 2002Sci...296.1263P
- Keywords:
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- MOLEC BIOL