Uncovering RNAi mechanisms in plants: biochemistry enters the foray.
In plants, the RNA interference (RNAi) machinery responds to a variety of triggers including viral infection, transgenes, repeated elements and transposons. All of these triggers lead to silencing outcomes ranging from mRNA degradation to translational repression to chromatin remodeling. Thus, plants offer us a potentially unique opportunity to understand the full range of RNAi effector mechanisms. In this review, we discuss the recent developments in our understanding of plant RNAi mechanisms from a biochemical perspective.
Qi
Yijun
Y
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Watson School of Biological Sciences, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA. qiy@cshl.edu
Hannon
Gregory J
GJ
D000818:Animals; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000502:physiology; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D060565:Argonaute Proteins; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D020868:Gene Silencing; D017343:Genes, Plant; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D034622:RNA Interference; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism; D043244:Ribonuclease III / Q000502:physiology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D019076:Transgenes
C117457:AGO1 protein, Arabidopsis; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D060565:Argonaute Proteins; D002843:Chromatin; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018749:RNA, Plant; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D043244:Ribonuclease III