GSE13370
High-throughput pyrosequencing of endogenous small RNAs associated to human Argonaute 1 & 2
Small non-coding RNAs function in concert with Argonaute (Ago) proteins to regulate gene  expression at the level of transcription, mRNA stability or translation. Ago proteins bind  small RNAs and form the core of silencing complexes. Here we report the analysis of small  RNAs associated with human Ago1 and Ago2 revealed by immunoprecipitation and deep  sequencing. Among the reads we find small RNAs originating from the small nucleolar RNA  (snoRNA) ACA45. Moreover, processing of ACA45 requires Dicer activity but is  independent of Drosha/DGCR8. Using bio-informatic prediction algorithms and luciferase  reporter assays, we uncover the mediator subunit CDC2L6 as one potential mRNA target of  ACA45 small RNAs suggesting a role for ACA45 processing products in post-transcriptional  gene silencing. We further identify a number of human snoRNAs with microRNA (miRNA)-  like processing signatures. We have therefore identified a novel class of small RNAs in  human cells that originate from snoRNAs and can function like miRNAs. Overall design: Two samples examined. Small RNAs associated to human Argonaute 1 and human Argonaute 2