RNAi Technology in Fish and Shellfish- Status and Prospects: A Review

Abstract

Ribonucleic acid interference (RNAi), a valuable tool for manipulating gene functionality in the laboratory, has also emerged as a powerful tool to suppress infection or replication of many pathogens that cause severe economic losses in fish farming. By taking advantage of the cell’s endogenous RNAi apparatus, small interfering RNA of ~21-22 bp can be introduced into cells to induce target specific mRNA degradation. With the growing appreciation for the potential of RNAi technology, the diversity in vivo relevance to aquaculture is seemingly vast. Studies in the future should address the hurdles like delivery strategy stability and degradation of RNAi therapeutic molecule by nucleases in aquatic animals. In this article, we review the literature in the field of RNAi technology in aquaculture, summarize the status and prospects, which may open doors to its applicability potential as a therapeutic strategy to modulate host-pathogen interactions and inspire further trials.