RNA interference in shrimp and potential applications in aquaculture

Abstract

AbstractAs the RNA interference mechanism was discovered, researchers have made huge strides in unravelling biological mechanisms at the gene level in a wide range of organisms. RNAi is a simple and rapid method that allows silencing gene expression at the post‐transcriptional level and is triggered by the introduction of double‐stranded RNA into the cell, leading to the degradation of the corresponding mRNA. In this review, we will provide an overview of successful RNAi experiments to date in Crustacea, and shrimp in particular, with special focus on various potential applications of RNA interference in research and aquaculture. An important aspect of RNAi in any species is the delivery of the double‐stranded RNA and the barriers that have to be overcome to get the dsRNA into the target cells. Different options, experimental procedures, success rates and challenges in using RNAi are discussed in this review.