Hi all,
I would like to know any RNAi target gene that would avoid the presence of fertilized eggs.
Thanks for any idea !
Nico
I do not know for sure, but these may work:
- fer-15
- spe-9
- cpb-1 (meiosis problems)
- spe-39 (embryonic lethality)
- wee-1.3 (spermatogenesis)
Best regards,
Andres
The only one on this list that’s likely to work as predicted is cpb-1. RNAi by injection causes meiotic defects in sperm that result in sterility (see Luitjens et al., 2000). The others are unsuitable for a variety of reasons. Spe-39 has roles in somatic lysosomal trafficking in addition to sperm development, wee-1.3 Spe alleles are not loss of function (and therefore unlikely to be phenocopied by RNAi knockdown), there are no reports of successful spe-9 RNAi, and the identity of fer-15 has not been published (but is reportedly a component of the RNAi machinery that functions in the soma).
You should be aware that sperm genes are typically resistant to inactivation by RNAi. If the experiment doesn’t depend upon having normal gametogenesis, I would recommend some of the genes involved in germline proliferation or sex determination (e.g., fbf-1/2) to block fertility.
Harold