title: Exploring the functions of RNA interference pathway proteins: some functions are more RISCy than others?
abstract: PPD (PAZ Piwi domain) proteins and the Dicer family have been the subjects of intense study over the last 6 years. These proteins have well-established roles in RNAi (RNA interference), a process that relies on siRNAs (small interfering RNAs) or miRNAs (microRNAs) to mediate specificity. The development of techniques for applying RNAi as a laboratory tool and a molecular therapeutic technique has rapidly outpaced our understanding of the biology of this process. However, over the last 2 years, great strides have been made towards elucidating how PPD proteins and Dicer regulate gene-silencing at the pre- and post-transcriptional levels. In addition, evidence is beginning to emerge that suggests that these proteins have additional siRNA-independent roles as cell-cycle regulators. In the present review, we summarize the well-known roles of these two classes of proteins in gene-silencing pathways, as well as explore the evidence for novel roles of PPD and Dicer proteins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2H7.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jaronczyk
authors.forename: Jon B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Carmichael
authors.forename: Tom C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Hobman
mesh_terms: D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000502:physiology; D005810:Multigene Family; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D034622:RNA Interference / Q000502:physiology*; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000737:chemistry; D034743:RNA-Induced Silencing Complex / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology*; D043244:Ribonuclease III / Q000737:chemistry; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; D034743:RNA-Induced Silencing Complex; D043244:Ribonuclease III