GSBS Student Publications

Student Author(s)

Tingting Du; Carla Klattenhoff

GSBS Program

Interdisciplinary Graduate Program

Publication Date

2005-05-28

UMMS Affiliation

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology; Program in Molecular Medicine

Document Type

Article

Disciplines

Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology | Life Sciences | Medicine and Health Sciences

Abstract

microRNAs (miRNAs) are single-stranded, 21- to 23-nucleotide cellular RNAs that control the expression of cognate target genes. Primary miRNA (pri-miRNA) transcripts are transformed to mature miRNA by the successive actions of two RNase III endonucleases. Drosha converts pri-miRNA transcripts to precursor miRNA (pre-miRNA); Dicer, in turn, converts pre-miRNA to mature miRNA. Here, we show that normal processing of Drosophila pre-miRNAs by Dicer-1 requires the double-stranded RNA-binding domain (dsRBD) protein Loquacious (Loqs), a homolog of human TRBP, a protein first identified as binding the HIV trans-activator RNA (TAR). Efficient miRNA-directed silencing of a reporter transgene, complete repression of white by a dsRNA trigger, and silencing of the endogenous Stellate locus by Suppressor of Stellate, all require Loqs. In loqs(f00791) mutant ovaries, germ-line stem cells are not appropriately maintained. Loqs associates with Dcr-1, the Drosophila RNase III enzyme that processes pre-miRNA into mature miRNA. Thus, every known Drosophila RNase-III endonuclease is paired with a dsRBD protein that facilitates its function in small RNA biogenesis.

DOI of Published Version

10.1371/journal.pbio.0030236

Source

PLoS Biol. 2005 Jul;3(7):e236. Epub 2005 May 24. Link to article on publisher's site

Journal/Book/Conference Title

PLoS biology

Related Resources

Link to article in PubMed

PubMed ID

15918770

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