RNA interference

RNA interference

noun

Definition of RNA INTERFERENCE

: a posttranscriptional genetic mechanism of various eukaryotes (as plants, fungi, nematodes, and mammals) which suppresses gene expression and in which double-stranded RNA cleaved into small fragments initiates the degradation of a complementary messenger RNA; also : a technique (as the introduction of double-stranded RNA into an organism) that artificially induces RNA interference and is used for studying or regulating gene expression