Which of the following statements about RNA interference (RNAi) is false?

A. RNAi is a natural mechanism used to regulate genes.
B. During the process of RNAi, hybridization of a small RNA molecule with the mRNA degrades the mRNA.
C. Because RNAi depends on the introduction of double-stranded RNA into a cell or organism, it is not a process that can cause heritable changes in gene expression.
D. In C. elegans, RNAi can be introduced into the animals by feeding them bacteria that produce inhibitory RNA molecules.

The false statement about RNA interference (RNAi) is (c), as RNAi can indeed cause heritable changes in gene expression, contrary to the claim that it cannot.

Explanation:

RNA interference (RNAi) is a sophisticated biological mechanism for gene regulation. The statements addressing RNAi include its role as a natural gene regulation mechanism (a), its process of mRNA degradation through small RNA molecule hybridization (b), the potential for heritable changes in gene expression (c), and the introduction of RNAi in C. elegans via bacteria feeding (d).

The incorrect statement among the given choices is (c). While RNAi indeed involves the uptake of double-stranded RNA, it can potentially cause heritable changes in gene expression, particularly in organisms like C. elegans, where such changes can be propagated through the germline. Thus, the notion that RNAi can only be non-heritable is false.

The discovery of siRNAs contributed significantly to our understanding of RNAi, earning the Nobel Prize for A. Z. Fire and C. C. Mello. The role of miRNAs and their processing by Dicer into mature forms that act with the RISC complex to degrade target mRNA or inhibit translation further exemplifies the intricacy of post-transcriptional regulations. Researchers continue to harness RNAi technology to develop treatments for viral infections and genetic disorders.

Learn more about RNA interference (RNAi) here:

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