RNAi in budding yeast.
RNA interference (RNAi), a gene-silencing pathway triggered by double-stranded RNA, is conserved in diverse eukaryotic species but has been lost in the model budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here, we show that RNAi is present in other budding yeast species, including Saccharomyces castellii and Candida albicans. These species use noncanonical Dicer proteins to generate small interfering RNAs, which mostly correspond to transposable elements and Y' subtelomeric repeats. In S. castellii, RNAi mutants are viable but have excess Y' messenger RNA levels. In S. cerevisiae, introducing Dicer and Argonaute of S. castellii restores RNAi, and the reconstituted pathway silences endogenous retrotransposons. These results identify a previously unknown class of Dicer proteins, bring the tool of RNAi to the study of budding yeasts, and bring the tools of budding yeast to the study of RNAi.
Drinnenberg
Ines A
IA
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.|Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Weinberg
David E
DE
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.|Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.|Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Xie
Kathleen T
KT
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.|Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.|Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Mower
Jeffrey P
JP
Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Wolfe
Kenneth H
KH
Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Fink
Gerald R
GR
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.|Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Bartel
David P
DP
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.|Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.|Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D056426:Genetic Loci; D009154:Mutation; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D034622:RNA Interference; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012331:RNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D018626:Retroelements; D043244:Ribonuclease III / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012440:Saccharomyces / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004718:Saccharomycetales / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
D005656:Fungal Proteins; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; D012331:RNA, Fungal; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D018626:Retroelements; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D043244:Ribonuclease III