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WMD - a web-tool for the automated design of artificial microRNAs.

More than 30 plants are available for amiRNA design using released transcripts or EST databases. Please read the Procedure before you use the amiRNA designer for the first time!

Artificial microRNAs (amiRNAs) are 21mer small RNAs, which can be genetically engineered and function to specifically silence single or multiple genes of interest in Arabidopsis, according to the previously determined parameters of target gene selection. It uses your favorite gene(s), which you want to silence, and designs 21mer amiRNA sequences. You will retrieve oligo sequences to express the small RNA from endogenous miRNA precursors. More information about miRNAs, design and application of amiRNAs and several guides on all the tools on this page can be found in the Help section. A detailed image of plant miRNA target selection parameters can be found here. You can download the cloning protocol for Arabidopsis thaliana here. Other protocols are available in the Download section. Please contact Prof. Weigel (weigel@tuebingen.mpg.de) to order vectors RS300 or NW55.

AmiRNAs and WMD have been first described in Rebecca Schwab, Stephan Ossowski, Markus Riester, Norman Warthmann, and Detlef Weigel (2006) Highly Specific Gene Silencing by Artificial MicroRNAs in Arabidopsis Plant Cell 18: 1121-1133.
Please cite this paper if your are using WMD2 - designed amiRNAs. Link to PubMed

AmiRNAs in rice were first described in Warthmann N, Chen H, Ossowski S, Weigel D, Hervé P (2008) Highly Specific Gene Silencing by Artificial miRNAs in Rice PLoS ONE 3(3): e1829.
Please cite this paper if your are using amiRNAs desinged for rice and/or the vector NW55. Link to PLoS ONE

A detailed description of WMD2 and amiRNA applications in Arabidopsis, rice and other plants is published in Stephan Ossowski, Rebecca Schwab, Detlef Weigel (2008) Gene silencing in plants using artificial microRNAs and other small RNAs The Plant Journal 53 (4) , 674-690 Link to PubMed

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