title: Posttranscriptional gene silencing in Neurospora by a RecQ DNA helicase.
abstract: The phenomenon of posttranscriptional gene silencing (PTGS), which occurs when a transgene is introduced into a cell, is poorly understood. Here, the qde-3 gene, which is required for the activation and maintenance of gene silencing in the fungus Neurospora crassa, was isolated. Sequence analysis revealed that the qde-3 gene belongs to the RecQ DNA helicase family. The QDE3 protein may function in the DNA-DNA interaction between introduced transgenes or with an endogenous gene required for gene-silencing activation. In animals, genes that are homologous to RecQ protein, such as the human genes for Bloom's syndrome and Werner's syndrome, may also function in PTGS.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Cellulari ed Ematologia, Sezione di Genetica Molecolare, Università di Roma La Sapienza, Viale Regina Elena, 324, 00161 Roma, Italy. carlo@bce.med.uniroma1.it
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cogoni
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Macino
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001816:Bloom Syndrome / Q000235:genetics; D002166:Camptothecin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004265:DNA Helicases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000378:metabolism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005047:Etoposide / Q000494:pharmacology; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D020868:Gene Silencing; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D009492:Neurospora crassa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D053484:RecQ Helicases; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D019076:Transgenes; D014898:Werner Syndrome / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D005047:Etoposide; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; C506725:RECQL protein, human; D004265:DNA Helicases; D053484:RecQ Helicases; C402647:QDE-3 protein, Neurospora crassa; D002166:Camptothecin