Dicer is required for chromosome segregation and gene silencing in fission yeast cells.
RNA interference is a form of gene silencing in which the nuclease Dicer cleaves double-stranded RNA into small interfering RNAs. Here we report a role for Dicer in chromosome segregation of fission yeast. Deletion of the Dicer (dcr1+) gene caused slow growth, sensitivity to thiabendazole, lagging chromosomes during anaphase, and abrogated silencing of centromeric repeats. As Dicer in other species, Dcr1p degraded double-stranded RNA into approximately 23 nucleotide fragments in vitro, and dcr1Delta cells were partially rescued by expression of human Dicer, indicating evolutionarily conserved functions. Expression profiling demonstrated that dcr1+ was required for silencing of two genes containing a conserved motif.
Provost
Patrick
P
Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Physiological Chemistry II, Karolinska Institute, S-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden Europe.
Silverstein
Rebecca A
RA
Dishart
David
D
Walfridsson
Julian
J
Djupedal
Ingela
I
Kniola
Barbara
B
Wright
Anthony
A
Samuelsson
Bengt
B
Radmark
Olof
O
Ekwall
Karl
K
D020090:Chromosome Segregation / Q000235:genetics*; D004722:Endoribonucleases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006801:Humans; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D043244:Ribonuclease III; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000235:genetics*
D004722:Endoribonucleases; D043244:Ribonuclease III