The structure of an RNAi polymerase links RNA silencing and transcription.
RNA silencing refers to a group of RNA-induced gene-silencing mechanisms that developed early in the eukaryotic lineage, probably for defence against pathogens and regulation of gene expression. In plants, protozoa, fungi, and nematodes, but apparently not insects and vertebrates, it involves a cell...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2006-12-01
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| Series: | PLoS Biology |
| Online Access: | https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.0040434&type=printable |
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| author | Paula S Salgado Minni R L Koivunen Eugene V Makeyev Dennis H Bamford David I Stuart Jonathan M Grimes |
| author_facet | Paula S Salgado Minni R L Koivunen Eugene V Makeyev Dennis H Bamford David I Stuart Jonathan M Grimes |
| author_sort | Paula S Salgado |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | RNA silencing refers to a group of RNA-induced gene-silencing mechanisms that developed early in the eukaryotic lineage, probably for defence against pathogens and regulation of gene expression. In plants, protozoa, fungi, and nematodes, but apparently not insects and vertebrates, it involves a cell-encoded RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (cRdRP) that produces double-stranded RNA triggers from aberrant single-stranded RNA. We report the 2.3-A resolution crystal structure of QDE-1, a cRdRP from Neurospora crassa, and find that it forms a relatively compact dimeric molecule, each subunit of which comprises several domains with, at its core, a catalytic apparatus and protein fold strikingly similar to the catalytic core of the DNA-dependent RNA polymerases responsible for transcription. This evolutionary link between the two enzyme types suggests that aspects of RNA silencing in some organisms may recapitulate transcription/replication pathways functioning in the ancient RNA-based world. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-36da96ea087947b5ace2910c045d7dbc |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1544-9173 1545-7885 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2006-12-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS Biology |
| spelling | doaj-art-36da96ea087947b5ace2910c045d7dbc2025-08-20T03:22:37ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Biology1544-91731545-78852006-12-01412e43410.1371/journal.pbio.0040434The structure of an RNAi polymerase links RNA silencing and transcription.Paula S SalgadoMinni R L KoivunenEugene V MakeyevDennis H BamfordDavid I StuartJonathan M GrimesRNA silencing refers to a group of RNA-induced gene-silencing mechanisms that developed early in the eukaryotic lineage, probably for defence against pathogens and regulation of gene expression. In plants, protozoa, fungi, and nematodes, but apparently not insects and vertebrates, it involves a cell-encoded RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (cRdRP) that produces double-stranded RNA triggers from aberrant single-stranded RNA. We report the 2.3-A resolution crystal structure of QDE-1, a cRdRP from Neurospora crassa, and find that it forms a relatively compact dimeric molecule, each subunit of which comprises several domains with, at its core, a catalytic apparatus and protein fold strikingly similar to the catalytic core of the DNA-dependent RNA polymerases responsible for transcription. This evolutionary link between the two enzyme types suggests that aspects of RNA silencing in some organisms may recapitulate transcription/replication pathways functioning in the ancient RNA-based world.https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.0040434&type=printable |
| spellingShingle | Paula S Salgado Minni R L Koivunen Eugene V Makeyev Dennis H Bamford David I Stuart Jonathan M Grimes The structure of an RNAi polymerase links RNA silencing and transcription. PLoS Biology |
| title | The structure of an RNAi polymerase links RNA silencing and transcription. |
| title_full | The structure of an RNAi polymerase links RNA silencing and transcription. |
| title_fullStr | The structure of an RNAi polymerase links RNA silencing and transcription. |
| title_full_unstemmed | The structure of an RNAi polymerase links RNA silencing and transcription. |
| title_short | The structure of an RNAi polymerase links RNA silencing and transcription. |
| title_sort | structure of an rnai polymerase links rna silencing and transcription |
| url | https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.0040434&type=printable |
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