Inducing RNAi in Caenorhabditis elegans by Injection of dsRNA

Abstract

In Caenorhabditis elegans, long double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) are overwhelmingly the trigger of choice for inducing RNA interference (RNAi). Although injection of dsRNA into the somatic or germline tissues of animals requires both specific equipment and technical skills, the ability of C. elegans to amplify the initial dsRNA trigger and to transmit the RNAi activity to other somatic tissues and to the progeny of injected animals is one of the main advantages of using C. elegans as a model system. The direct injection of dsRNA into parental animals is the most reliable method for RNAi and also presents the least experiment-to-experiment and animal-to-animal variability.