Non-coding RNA: a bridge between small RNA and DNA.
Small RNAs are not only involved in post-transcriptional gene silencing in the cytoplasm, but also modulate activities of the nuclear genome. Although silencing of mRNAs involves RNA-RNA base-pairing, it remains unclear whether the RNAi machinery responsible for chromatin or DNA modification interacts with DNA or RNA. The identification of an RNA helicase required for chromatin-Argonaute protein interaction as well as the presence of Argonaute-associated long non-coding transcripts in Tetrahymena suggest the presence of RNA-RNA interactions prior to small RNA-induced heterochromatin formation in ciliates.
Kurth
Henriette M
HM
Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna, Austria.
Mochizuki
Kazufumi
K
D000818:Animals; D020029:Base Pairing; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D020868:Gene Silencing; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000235:genetics*; D013768:Tetrahymena / Q000235:genetics
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D022661:RNA, Untranslated; D004247:DNA