Dicer functions in RNA interference and in synthesis of small RNA involved in developmental timing in C. elegans

作者：René F. Ketting, Sylvia E. J. Fischer, Emily Bernstein, Titia Sijen, Gregory James Hannon, Ronald H.A. Plasterk · 发表于：Genes & Development · 年份：2001 · DOI：10.1101/gad.927801 · 被引用次数：1811 · 研究领域：CRISPR and Genetic Engineering、Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms、RNA Research and Splicing

Double-stranded RNAs can suppress expression of homologous genes through an evolutionarily conserved process named RNA interference (RNAi) or post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS). One mechanism underlying silencing is degradation of target mRNAs by an RNP complex, which contains approximately 22 nt of siRNAs as guides to substrate selection. A bidentate nuclease called Dicer has been implicated as the protein responsible for siRNA production. Here we characterize the Caenorhabditis elegans ortholog of Dicer (K12H4.8; dcr-1) in vivo and in vitro. dcr-1 mutants show a defect in RNAi. Furthermore, a combination of phenotypic abnormalities and RNA analysis suggests a role for dcr-1 in a regulatory pathway comprised of small temporal RNA (let-7) and its target (e.g., lin-41).