siRNAs function by binding to complementary mRNA sequences, leading to the cleavage and subsequent degradation of the mRNA. This process effectively silences the expression of specific genes. The pathway involves several key steps: 1. Dicer, an enzyme, cleaves long double-stranded RNA molecules into siRNAs. 2. These siRNAs are then incorporated into the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). 3. The RISC complex uses one strand of the siRNA to bind to the target mRNA, facilitating its cleavage and degradation.
