Difference between "RNA interference" and "Antisense RNA"?

[Yertle the Turtle]

Is antisense RNA a type of RNA interference? It seems like they do the same thing.

[Alizeh]

Both siRNA and antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) inhibit the expression of a complementary gene. In this study, fundamental differences in the considerations for RNA interference and antisense ODNs are reported. In siRNA and antisense ODN databases, positive correlations are observed between the cost to open the mRNA target self-structure and the stability of the duplex to be formed, meaning the sites along the mRNA target with highest potential to form strong duplexes with antisense strands also have the greatest tendency to be involved in pre-existing structure. Efficient siRNA have less stable siRNA–target duplex stability than inefficient siRNA, but the opposite is true for antisense ODNs. It is, therefore, more difficult to avoid target self-structure in antisense ODN design. Self-structure stabilities of oligonucleotide and target correlate to the silencing efficacy of siRNA. Oligonucleotide self-structure correlations to efficacy of antisense ODNs, conversely, are insignificant. Furthermore, self-structure in the target appears to correlate with antisense ODN efficacy, but such that more effective antisense ODNs appear to target mRNA regions with greater self-structure. Therefore, different criteria are suggested for the design of efficient siRNA and antisense ODNs and the design of antisense ODNs is more challenging.

[Jack]

Cool name bro, chilies fan?

[Jon Moulton]

siRNA requires the participation of the RNA induced silencing complex (RISC) in order to degrade target RNA. Antisense RNA uses a different enzyme, RNase-H, to degrade complementary RNA, as does the backbone-modified phosphorothioate RNA. Another type of antisense, steric-blocking antisense (including 2'-O-methyl phosphorothioate RNA, locked nucleic acid, peptide nucleic acid and Morpholino oligos), does not degrade complementary RNA and acts by getting in the way of processes at particular RNA sequences.

Here's a discussion of some of the differences between siRNA and two kinds of steric blocking antisense.
[Only registered users see links. ]
Here's a discussion of the differences between phosphorothioate RNA and steric blocking oligos, especially Morpholinos.
[Only registered users see links. ]