Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan.
RNA. 2012 Jan;18(1):24-30. doi: 10.1261/rna.029785.111. Epub 2011 Nov 21.
In flies, asymmetric loading of small RNA duplexes into Argonaute2-containing RNA-induced silencing complex (Ago2-RISC) requires Dicer-2/R2D2 heterodimer, which acts as a protein sensor for the thermodynamic stabilities of the ends of small RNA duplexes. However, the mechanism of small RNA asymmetry sensing in mammalian RISC assembly remains obscure. Here, we quantitatively examined RISC assembly and target silencing activity in the presence or absence of Dicer in mammals. Our data show that, unlike the well-characterized fly Ago2-RISC assembly pathway, mammalian Dicer is dispensable for asymmetric RISC loading in vivo and in vitro.
在果蝇中,小 RNA 双链体不对称加载到含有 Argonaute2 的 RNA 诱导沉默复合物(Ago2-RISC)中需要 Dicer-2/R2D2 异二聚体,该异二聚体作为小 RNA 双链体末端热力学稳定性的蛋白质传感器。然而,哺乳动物 RISC 组装中小 RNA 不对称感应的机制仍然不清楚。在这里,我们定量研究了在哺乳动物中存在或不存在 Dicer 的情况下 RISC 组装和靶基因沉默活性。我们的数据表明,与已充分研究的果蝇 Ago2-RISC 组装途径不同,哺乳动物 Dicer 在体内和体外不对称 RISC 加载中并非必不可少。