20 May 2004
RNAi finds its target
RNA interference is an evolutionarily conserved process through which double-stranded RNAs induce silencing of target genes — and it has rapidly become a standard lab technique for blocking gene activity. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), made up of about 20 base pairs with 5'-phosphates and two-nucleotide 3'-overhangs, play a central role in the RNA silencing pathway, as guide elements for targeting specific messenger RNAs for degradation. Structural studies now establish that PAZ, a domain characteristic of the Argonaute family proteins that are associated with the RNA silencing machinery, specifically recognizes siRNA through anchoring of its 3'-overhang segments.
Structural basis for overhang-specific small
interfering RNA recognition by the PAZ domain
JIN-BIAO MA, KEQIONG YE & DINSHAW J. PATEL
Nature 429, 318–322 (2004); doi:10.1038/nature02519
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