RNA interference and transgene-mediated cosuppression are trans-generational silencing mechanisms acting both at a post-transcriptional and epigenetic level. We have recently shown that both these procedures, which share several common factors and are commonly used to phenocopy gene deletions, also induce germ-line DNA damage and apoptosis. These observations shed new light on the cross-talk between different pathways devoted to the protection of genome stability in germ cells.
Keywords: DNA-damage; DSBs; RNAi; apoptosis; caspase; cosuppression; germ-line; silencing; sirtuin; transposons.