CGC Bibliography Paper 4923

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

Ketting RF, Fischer SEJ, Bernstein E, Sijen T, Hannon GJ, Plasterk RHA

Medline:

11641272

Citation:

Genes & Development 15: 2654-2659 2001

Type:

ARTICLE

Genes:

dcr-1 let-7 lin-4 lin-41 mut-15

Abstract:

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 similar to 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).