<em>C. elegans </em>Egg Cell with dsRNA Particles (IMAGE)

University of Maryland

<em>C. elegans </em>Egg Cell with dsRNA Particles

Caption

In this image of a roundworm (Caenorhabditis elegans), a recently fertilized egg cell (arrow) contains particles of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA, small magenta dots) that are capable of silencing specific genes. A new University of Maryland study shows, for the first time, that these dsRNA molecules pass directly from the parent worm's circulatory system to the egg, revealing a possible mechanism for non-genetic inheritance.

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Antony Jose

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