RNA interference technology used for the study of aquatic virus infections

• Published in: Fish & shellfish immunology 2014-09, Vol.40 (1), p.14-23
• Main Authors: Reshi, Mohammad Latif, Wu, Jen-Leih, Wang, Hao-Ven, Hong, Jiann-Ruey
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Aquaculture; Crustacea; Fish Diseases - genetics; Fish Diseases - therapy; Fish Diseases - virology; Fishes; Gene silencing; RNA Interference; RNA interference technology; Virus Diseases - genetics; Virus Diseases - therapy; Virus Diseases - veterinary; Virus Diseases - virology; Viruses
• ISSN: 1050-4648; 1095-9947
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2014.06.008

Aquaculture is one of the most important economic activities in Asia and is presently the fastest growing sector of food production in the world. Explosive increases in global fish farming have been accompanied by an increase in viral diseases. Viral infections are responsible for huge economic losses in fish farming, and control of these viral diseases in aquaculture remains a serious challenge. Recent advances in biotechnology have had a significant impact on disease reduction in aquaculture. RNAi is one of the most important technological breakthroughs in modern biology, allowing us to directly observe the effects of the loss of specific genes in living systems. RNA interference technology has emerged as a powerful tool for manipulating gene expression in the laboratory. This technology represents a new therapeutic approach for treating aquatic diseases, including viral infections. RNAi technology is based on a naturally occurring post-transcriptional gene silencing process mediated by the formation of dsRNA. RNAi has been proven widely effective for gene knockdown in mammalian cultured cells, but its utility in fish remains unexplored. This review aims to highlight the RNAi technology that has made significant contributions toward the improvement of aquatic animal health and will also summarize the current status and future strategies concerning the therapeutic applications of RNAi to combat viral disease in aquacultured organisms. [Display omitted] •RNA interference (RNAi) is a naturally occurring mechanism that silences gene expression.•RNAi is a major technological advance, enabling gene function assessment within living systems.•A variety of RNAi delivery systems have been tested.•The aquatic farming industry may benefit from RNAi approaches to treating aquatic diseases.