The concept of small interfering RNA (siRNA) has been extended to include not only short double-stranded RNA of 19-25 bp, but also single-stranded antisense RNA of the same length, since such single-stranded antisense siRNAs were recently found to be able to inhibit gene expression as well. We made comprehensive comparison of double- and single-stranded siRNA functions in RNA interference (RNAi), targeting multiple sites and different mRNAs, measuring RNAi effects at different time-points and in different cell lines, and examining response curves. Duplex siRNAs were found to be more potent than single-stranded antisense siRNAs. This was verified by the observation that single-stranded antisense siRNAs, which were inefficient in some cases when used alone, could be rescued from inefficiency by sequentially transfecting with the sense siRNAs. This result suggests that the structural character of siRNA molecules might be a more important determinant of siRNA efficiency than the cellular persistence of them.

Antisense DNA target sites can be selected by the accessibility of the mRNA target. It remains unknown whether a mRNA site that is accessible to an antisense DNA is also a good candidate target site for a siRNA. Here, we reported a parallel analysis of 12 pairs of antisense DNAs and siRNA duplexes for their potency to inhibit reporter luciferase activity in mammalian cells, both of the antisense DNA and siRNA agents in a pair being directed to same site in the mRNA. Five siRNAs and two antisense DNAs turned out to be effective, but the sites targeted by those effective siRNAs and antisense DNAs did not overlap. Our results indicated that effective antisense DNAs and siRNAs have different preferences for target sites in the mRNA.

Although RNA interference as a tool for gene knockdown is a great promise for future applications, the specificity of small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated gene silencing needs to be thoroughly investigated. Most research regarding siRNA specificity has involved analysis of affected off-target genes instead of exploring the specificity of the siRNA itself. In this study we have developed an efficient method for generating a siRNA target library by combining a siRNA target validation vector with a nucleotide oligomix. We have used this library to perform an analysis of the silencing effects of a functional siRNA towards its target site with double-nucleotide mismatches. The results indicated that not only the positions of the mismatched base pair have an impact on silencing efficiency but also the identity of the mismatched nucleotide. Our data strengthen earlier observations of widespread siRNA off-target effects and shows that 35% of the double-mutated target sites still causes knockdown efficiency of >50%. We also provide evidence that there may be substantial differences in knockdown efficiency depending on whether the mutations are positioned within the siRNA itself or in the corresponding target site.

The specificity of small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated gene silencing is a critical consideration for the application of RNA interference (RNAi). While the discovery of potential off-target effects by siRNAs is of concern, no systematic analysis has been conducted to explore the specificity of RNAi. Here, we present a study where a functionally validated siRNA (siCD46) was examined for silencing specificityonall possible 57 permutated target sites, each carrying a single-nucleotide mutation that would generate a mismatch when paired with siRNA antisense strand. We found that it was not only the position of the mismatched base pair, but also the identity of the nucleotides forming the mismatch that influenced silencing. Surprisingly, mismatches formed between adenine (A) and cytosine (C), in addition to the G:U wobble base pair, were well tolerated and target sites containing such mismatches were silenced almost as efficiently as its fully matched counterpart by siCD46. Northern blots showed that the silencing of fusion genes harboring the mutated target sites involved target mRNA degradation. This study provides direct evidence that the target recognition of siRNA is far more degenerative than previously considered. This finding is instrumental in the understanding of RNAi specificity and may aid the computational prediction of RNA secondary structure.