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Abstract
Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is an important regulator of gene expression in many eukaryotes.
It triggers different types of gene silencing that are collectively referred to as
RNA silencing or RNA interference. A key step in known silencing pathways is the processing
of dsRNAs into short RNA duplexes of characteristic size and structure. These short
dsRNAs guide RNA silencing by specific and distinct mechanisms. Many components of
the RNA silencing machinery still need to be identified and characterized, but a more
complete understanding of the process is imminent.