Novel modes of protein-RNA recognition in the RNAi pathway.
Gene silencing mediated by RNA interference (RNAi) depends on short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and micro RNAs (miRNAs). These RNAs have unique features, namely a defined size of 19-21 base pairs, and characteristic two-nucleotide single-stranded 3' overhangs and 5' monophosphate groups. These molecular features of siRNAs and miRNAs are produced by RNase III enzymes, which are a hallmark of gene silencing induced by double-stranded RNA. Recent structural studies of components of the RNAi pathway, including PAZ, Piwi and RNase III domains, as well as full-length Argonaute and viral p19 proteins, have revealed distinct and novel modes of sequence-independent recognition of the characteristic features of siRNAs and miRNAs in the RNAi pathway.
Lingel
Andreas
A
EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
Sattler
Michael
M
D001665:Binding Sites; D008954:Models, Biological; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011485:Protein Binding; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D034622:RNA Interference / Q000502:physiology*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D012313:RNA