(A) siRNAs with passenger-strand (PS) deletions as triggers for RNAi. Each GFP siRNA construct shown and reporter plasmids were co-transfected into HeLa cells and RNAi activity was quantified 48 h post-transfection. Relative RNAi activity represents the percentage of GFP knockdown induced by 50 nM siRNA with passenger-strand deletions relative to the inhibition induced by 50 nM 19-nt wild-type siRNA (designated 100%). Each siRNA was tested for knockdown in duplicate in two independent experiments. (B) Effects of guide-strand and two-strand deletions on RNAi activity. The relative RNAi activity of each GFP siRNA construct shown was evaluated as described in (A).
