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Multilayer checkpoints for microRNA authenticity during RISC assembly
Author(s) -
Kawamata Tomoko,
Yoda Mayuko,
Tomari Yukihide
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
embo reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.584
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1469-3178
pISSN - 1469-221X
DOI - 10.1038/embor.2011.128
Subject(s) - argonaute , microrna , rna induced silencing complex , duplex (building) , biology , gene silencing , rna , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , rna interference , computational biology , gene , non coding rna , dna
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) function through the RNA‐induced silencing complex (RISC), which contains an Argonaute (Ago) protein at the core. RISC assembly follows a two‐step pathway: miRNA/miRNA * duplex loading into Ago, and separation of the two strands within Ago. Here we show that the 5′ phosphate of the miRNA strand is essential for duplex loading into Ago, whereas the preferred 5′ nucleotide of the miRNA strand and the base‐pairing status in the seed region and the middle of the 3′ region function as additive anchors to Ago. Consequently, the miRNA authenticity is inspected at multiple steps during RISC assembly.