title: Structural and functional modules in RNA interference.
abstract: RNA interference (RNAi) uses small RNA molecules to regulate transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene expression. In recent years, a number of structural studies provided insights into the molecular architecture and mechanism of functional modules of RNAi. Mechanisms of nucleic acid recognition and cleavage have been revealed by structural studies of proteins and their nucleic acid complexes involved in RNA biogenesis, for example, Argonaute, PIWI, RNase III, Dicer, Drosha, and DGCR8. While quite a few questions remain, an excellent structural and mechanistic overview of RNAi processes has already emerged. In this review, we examine functional modules and their assemblies in RNAi processes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Protein Structure, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, 4 Ks. Trojdena Street, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland. mnowotny@iimcb.gov.pl
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nowotny
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D034622:RNA Interference; D016372:RNA, Antisense / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins; D016372:RNA, Antisense; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded