Gene expression can be controlled with the help of RNA. Explain the method with an example.

Gene expression can be controlled with the help of RNA by a method known as RNA interference (i.e., RNAi) in which a gene is “knocked out’’ and the cellular mechanism is degraded. It involves the gene silencing of a specific mRNA which is done by binding a complementary double-stranded RNA (i.e., dsRNA) to the mRNA which inhibits the translation process.

It inhibits the viral antigen gene expression. For example: protection from nematode infection using RNA interference. The Agrobacterium vector forms a complementary dsRNA with the nematode genes and inhibits translation and the nematode infection gene expression doesn’t occur.