Fragile X-related protein and VIG associate with the RNA interference machinery.
RNA interference (RNAi) is a flexible gene silencing mechanism that responds to double-stranded RNA by suppressing homologous genes. Here, we report the characterization of RNAi effector complexes (RISCs) that contain small interfering RNAs and microRNAs (miRNAs). We identify two putative RNA-binding proteins, the Drosophila homolog of the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), dFXR, and VIG (Vasa intronic gene), through their association with RISC. FMRP, the product of the human fragile X locus, regulates the expression of numerous mRNAs via an unknown mechanism. The possibility that dFXR, and potentially FMRP, use, at least in part, an RNAi-related mechanism for target recognition suggests a potentially important link between RNAi and human disease.
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D060565:Argonaute Proteins; D002460:Cell Line; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D051860:Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein 1; D020868:Gene Silencing; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D034743:RNA-Induced Silencing Complex / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*
D060565:Argonaute Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D051860:Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein 1; D019476:Insect Proteins; D035683:MicroRNAs; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D034743:RNA-Induced Silencing Complex; C433807:AGO2 protein, Drosophila; C467328:FMR1 protein, Drosophila; C467329:VIG protein, Drosophila