Poterala Aleksandra, Rzeszowska-Wolny Joanna
Centrum Biotechnologii Politechniki Śląskiej.
Centrum Biotechnologii Politechniki Śląskiej; Grupa Biosystemów, Instytut Automatyki, Zakład Inżynierii Systemów, Politechnika Śląska, Gliwice.
Postepy Hig Med Dosw (Online). 2016 Sep 28;70(0):1005-1016. doi: 10.5604/17322693.1220383.
Ago proteins are members of the highly specialized and conserved Argonaute family, primarily responsible for regulation of gene expression. As a part of RNA-induced silencing complexes (RISCs) Ago proteins are responsible for binding a short RNA and cleavage/inhibition of translation of target mRNAs. Phosphorylation may work as the switch between those two functions, but the role of magnesium ion concentration is also taken into consideration. Recent reports indicate that Ago proteins can interact with an mRNA and cause inhibition of translation without the participation of a short RNA. As key elements in RNA interference processes, Ago proteins are an important and intensively exploited area of research. Furthermore, these proteins are involved in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks by homologous recombination, modifications of chromatin, and alternative splicing. Their role in the cell cycle and senescence is also being studied. In addition, Ago expression is tissue-specific, which potentially may be used for diagnostic purposes. Understanding the mechanisms of Ago functioning is therefore crucial for understanding many cellular processes. The following article presents a detailed description of the Ago proteins including their post-translational modifications, recent data and hypotheses concerning their interactions with short RNAs and mRNAs as well as the mechanisms of siRNA/miRNA sorting into individual members of the Ago subfamily, and their role in eukaryotic cells. The latest classification of Ago proteins within the Argonaute family based on evolutionary studies and their possible interactions with DNA are also described.
AGO蛋白是高度专业化且保守的Argonaute家族成员，主要负责基因表达的调控。作为RNA诱导沉默复合体（RISC）的一部分，AGO蛋白负责结合短链RNA并切割/抑制靶标mRNA的翻译。磷酸化可能是这两种功能之间的开关，但镁离子浓度的作用也被考虑在内。最近的报道表明，AGO蛋白可以在没有短链RNA参与的情况下与mRNA相互作用并抑制翻译。作为RNA干扰过程中的关键元件，AGO蛋白是一个重要且被深入研究的领域。此外，这些蛋白还参与通过同源重组修复DNA双链断裂、染色质修饰以及可变剪接。它们在细胞周期和衰老中的作用也在研究中。此外，AGO的表达具有组织特异性，这可能潜在地用于诊断目的。因此，了解AGO发挥功能的机制对于理解许多细胞过程至关重要。以下文章详细描述了AGO蛋白，包括其翻译后修饰、关于它们与短链RNA和mRNA相互作用的最新数据和假说，以及小干扰RNA/微小RNA分选到AGO亚家族各个成员中的机制，及其在真核细胞中的作用。还描述了基于进化研究的AGO蛋白在Argonaute家族中的最新分类以及它们与DNA可能的相互作用。
