What are the differences between siRNA and shRNA? How should the groups be arranged for conventional interference detection?

siRNA is directly synthesized to target a specific gene (it is RNA, not DNA), and is delivered to cells or the body through transfection. Subsequently, it participates in RNAi and has the effect of silencing the target gene. siRNA is transiently expressed and its effect persists for approximately 48-72 hours.

shRNA is a short hairpin RNA that possesses a loop structure which can be processed into siRNA. It is typically constructed as a short hairpin structure in the form of DNA and delivered to cells or the body through a vector, such as a plasmid or a virus. Within the cell, Dicer enzymes generate the corresponding siRNA and carry out RNAi. If a lentivirus or AAV infects cells or tissues, it is capable of achieving long-term expression.

The traditional interference detection method was categorized into three groups: the negative control group, the experimental control group, and the target gene interference group.

When the target genes are selected through the method of siRNA screening and then utilized for the subsequent construction of shRNA, the interference efficiency of siRNA cannot be completely equivalent to that of shRNA since shRNA needs to undergo additional processing before it can exert its function.