RNase III is a divalent metal dependent nuclease that cleaves long, double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) into short dsRNA fragments (13-30 bases). Products of RNase III mimic siRNA structures produced by Dicer enzyme (5′-PO4, 3′-OH and a dinucleotide 3′ overhang). This unique feature enables to generate a population of RNAs that, after transfection into mammalian cells, can induce RNAi.
