Reiterated WG/GW Motifs Form Functionally and Evolutionarily Conserved ARGONAUTE-binding Platforms in RNAi-related Components

Overview

Journal Genes Dev

Specialty Molecular Biology

Date 2007 Oct 17

PMID 17938239

Citations 162

Authors

Mahmoud El-Shami

Dominique Pontier

Sylvie Lahmy

Laurence Braun

Claire Picart

Danielle Vega

Mohamed-Ali Hakimi

Steven E Jacobsen

Richard Cooke

Thierry Lagrange

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Two forms of RNA Polymerase IV (PolIVa/PolIVb) have been implicated in RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) in Arabidopsis. Prevailing models imply a distinct function for PolIVb by association of Argonaute4 (AGO4) with the C-terminal domain (CTD) of its largest subunit NRPD1b. Here we show that the extended CTD of NRPD1b-type proteins exhibits conserved Argonaute-binding capacity through a WG/GW-rich region that functionally distinguishes Pol IVb from Pol IVa, and that is essential for RdDM. Site-specific mutagenesis and domain-swapping experiments between AtNRPD1b and the human protein GW182 demonstrated that reiterated WG/GW motifs form evolutionarily and functionally conserved Argonaute-binding platforms in RNA interference (RNAi)-related components.

Citing Articles

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