Argonaute2, a link between genetic and biochemical analyses of RNAi

Hammond, S. M., Boettcher, S., Caudy, A. A., Kobayashi, R., Hannon, G. J. (August 2001) Argonaute2, a link between genetic and biochemical analyses of RNAi. Science, 293 (5532). pp. 1146-1150. ISSN 0036-8075

URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11498593
DOI: 10.1126/science.1064023

Abstract

Double-stranded RNA induces potent and specific gene silencing through a process referred to as RNA interference (RNAi) or posttranscriptional gene silencing (PTGS). RNAi is mediated by RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), a sequence-specific, multicomponent nuclease that destroys messenger RNAs homologous to the silencing trigger. RISC is known to contain short RNAs (similar to 22 nucleotides) derived from the double-stranded RNA trigger, but the protein components of this activity are unknown. Here, we report the biochemical purification of the RNAi effector nuclease from cultured Drosophila cells. The active fraction contains a ribonucleoprotein complex of similar to 500 kilodaltons. Protein microsequencing reveals that one constituent of this complex is a member of the Argonaute family of proteins, which are essential for gene silencing in Caenorhabditis elegans, Neurospora, and Arabidopsis. This observation begins the process of forging links between genetic analysis of RNAi from diverse organisms and the biochemical model of RNAi that is emerging from Drosophila in vitro systems.

Item Type: Paper
Uncontrolled Keywords: DOUBLE-STRANDED-RNA C-ELEGANS MESSENGER-RNA INTERFERENCE ARABIDOPSIS POLYMERASE HELICASE NEUROSPORA TRANSGENE PROTEINS
Subjects: bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > RNAi
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > protein structure, function, modification > protein types > argonaute proteins
CSHL Authors:
Communities: CSHL labs > Hannon lab
CSHL labs > Kobayashi lab
School of Biological Sciences > Publications
Depositing User: Matt Covey
Date: August 2001
Date Deposited: 22 Jan 2014 19:25
Last Modified: 19 Sep 2014 13:49
Related URLs:
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/29242

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