关键词: 动物, 病毒, 转基因, 抗病育种, RNA干扰

Abstract: Viruses are serious threats to human and animal health. Vaccines can prevent viral diseases, but few antiviral treatments are available to control evolving infections. Though it is only more than ten years since RNA interference (RNAi) has been discovered, we have had a clear picture of RNAi mechanism. RNAi is an effective means of suppressing virus replication in vitro, the progress has been achieved in studies of RNA interference mediated transgenic animals resistant to disease. At present, genetically modified sheep and cattle resistant to prion prote, as well as pig resistant to porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV) and silkworm resistant to nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) have been achieved. Though most RNAi researches focus on cell lines and the available species of transgenic animals is limited, these researches provide a valid basis for the continued production of disease resistant transgenic animals. With the progress of transgenic technology, RNAi mediated transgenic breeding for disease resistance should be the most promising methods of reducing animal infectious diseases in the future.

Key words: animal, virus, transgene, breeding for disease resistance, RNA interference (RNAi)