title: RISC assembly: Coordination between small RNAs and Argonaute proteins.
abstract: Non-coding RNAs generally form ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes with their partner proteins to exert their functions. Small RNAs, including microRNAs, small interfering RNAs, and PIWI-interacting RNAs, assemble with Argonaute (Ago) family proteins into the effector complex called RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), which mediates sequence-specific target gene silencing. RISC assembly is not a simple binding between a small RNA and Ago; rather, it follows an ordered multi-step pathway that requires specific accessory factors. Some steps of RISC assembly and RISC-mediated gene silencing are dependent on or facilitated by particular intracellular platforms, suggesting their spatial regulation. In this review, we summarize the currently known mechanisms for RISC assembly of each small RNA class and propose a revised model for the role of the chaperone machinery in the duplex-initiated RISC assembly pathway. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Clues to long noncoding RNA taxonomy1, edited by Dr. Tetsuro Hirose and Dr. Shinichi Nakagawa.
authors: Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan.
authors: Hotaka
authors: H
authors: Kobayashi
authors: Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan; Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan. Electronic address: tomari@iam.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
authors: Yukihide
authors: Y
authors: Tomari
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D060565:Argonaute Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics; D018832:Molecular Chaperones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D034743:RNA-Induced Silencing Complex / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D060565:Argonaute Proteins; D035683:MicroRNAs; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D022661:RNA, Untranslated; D034743:RNA-Induced Silencing Complex
keywords: Argonaute; Chaperone; RISC; RNA silencing; Small RNAs; miRNA; piRNA; siRNA