Arabidopsis ARGONAUTE1 is an RNA Slicer that selectively recruits microRNAs and short interfering RNAs

ARGONAUTE (AGO) RNA-binding proteins are involved in RNA silencing. They bind to short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) through a conserved PAZ domain, and, in animals, they assemble into a multisubunit RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). The mammalian AGO2, termed Slicer, directs siRNA- and miRNA-mediated cleavage of a target RNA. In Arabidopsis, there are 10 members of the AGO family, and the AGO1 protein is potentially the Slicer component in different RNA-silencing pathways. Here, we show that AGO1 selectively recruits certain classes of short silencing-related RNA. AGO1 is physically associated with miRNAs, transacting siRNAs, and transgene-derived siRNAs but excludes virus-derived…

• NS
  National Science Foundation
• DF
  Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, UK Government
• GC
  Gatsby Charitable Foundation
• SN
  Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
• IN
  Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique