Open AccessDicer is required for chromosome segregation and gene silencing in fission yeast cells
Author(s) -
Patrick Provost,
Rebecca A. Silverstein,
David Dishart,
Julian Walfridsson,
Ingela Djupedal,
Barbara Kniola,
Anthony P. H. Wright,
Bengt Samuelsson,
Olof Rádmark,
Karl Ekwall
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.212633199
Subject(s) - dicer , biology , gene silencing , rna induced silencing complex , rna induced transcriptional silencing , rna silencing , rna interference , ribonuclease iii , microbiology and biotechnology , argonaute , genetics , small interfering rna , gene , rna
RNA interference is a form of gene silencing in which the nuclease Dicer cleaves double-stranded RNA into small interfering RNAs. Here we report a role for Dicer in chromosome segregation of fission yeast. Deletion of the Dicer (dcr1+) gene caused slow growth, sensitivity to thiabendazole, lagging chromosomes during anaphase, and abrogated silencing of centromeric repeats. As Dicer in other species, Dcr1p degraded double-stranded RNA into approximately 23 nucleotide fragments in vitro, and dcr1Delta cells were partially rescued by expression of human Dicer, indicating evolutionarily conserved functions. Expression profiling demonstrated that dcr1+ was required for silencing of two genes containing a conserved motif.
Accelerating Research
Robert Robinson Avenue,
Oxford Science Park, Oxford
OX4 4GP, United Kingdom
Address
John Eccles HouseRobert Robinson Avenue,
Oxford Science Park, Oxford
OX4 4GP, United Kingdom