Figure 5.

Mechanisms of siRNA-induced gene silencing. Both RNAi pathways can exert genetic repression by viral and non-viral mechanisms of delivery. PTGS mostly occurs in the cytoplasm as the RISC machinery initiates specific mRNA cleavage. TGS is localised to the nucleus and is mediated by the RITS complex, acting through repressive epigenetic modifications. Ago1, Argonaute 1; Ago2, Argonaute 2; shRNA, short hairpin RNA; RISC, RNA-induced silencing complex; RITS, RNA-induced transcriptional silencing complex; TRBP, transactivating response (TAR) RNA-binding protein; TNRC6, trinucleotide repeat containing 6 protein faily. Created in BioRender.