microrna processing without dicer微处理没有帽子.pdfVIP

Dueck and Meister Genome Biology 2010, 11:123 /2010/11/6/123 R E S E A R C H H I G H L I G H T MicroRNA processing without Dicer 1 1,2 Anne Dueck and Gunter Meister * The Argonaute protein family Abstract Ago proteins form the core components of RISC and are The canonical processing of precursor microRNAs key effectors of small RNA function in general [6,7]. Ago requires the endonuclease Dicer. A recent study shows proteins are characterized by a conserved structure that microRNAs can be processed independently of consisting of an amino-terminal domain, a so-called Mid Dicer but instead require Argonaute 2. domain, the PAZ (PIWI-Argonaute-Zwille) and Piwi (P- element-induced wimpy testes) domains. e PAZ domain binds the 3’ end of the miRNA, while the Mid MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and their manifold functions in domain anchors the 5’ end. e Piwi domain has been regulating gene expression have been the focus of intensive shown to structurally resemble an RNase H fold, and research over the past decade [1]. miRNAs are endoge- indeed, some Ago proteins can cleave an opposing RNA nously expressed small RNAs that undergo extensive strand between nucleotide position 10 and 11 of the processing and finally become part of an effector complex, miRNA [6,7]. In m