title: The microRNA-producing enzyme Dicer1 is essential for zebrafish development.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are produced by the Dicer1 enzyme; the role of Dicer1 in vertebrate development is unknown. Here we report target-selected inactivation of the dicer1 gene in zebrafish. We observed an initial build-up of miRNA levels, produced by maternal Dicer1, in homozygous dicer1 mutants, but miRNA accumulation stopped after a few days. This resulted in developmental arrest around day 10. These results indicate that miRNA-producing Dicer1 is essential for vertebrate development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Functional Genomics, Hubrecht Laboratory, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Erno
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wienholds
authors.forename: Marco J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Koudijs
authors.forename: Freek J M
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: van Eeden
authors.forename: Edwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cuppen
authors.forename: Ronald H A
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Plasterk
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D004722:Endoribonucleases / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D020868:Gene Silencing; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009154:Mutation; D020365:RNA Helicases / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D043244:Ribonuclease III; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology*
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D004722:Endoribonucleases; C408087:DICER1 protein, human; D043244:Ribonuclease III; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D020365:RNA Helicases