AsianScientist (Apr. 8, 2015) – Scientists have successfully reconstituted the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) in a test tube and observed the process of RISC assembly at the single-molecule resolution for the first time. Their results have been published in Nature.
RNA interference (RNAi), a phenomenon in which small RNAs specifically silence their target genes, is now widely used by biologists to study the function of genes. RNAi is mediated by the effector complex called RISC, which contains a small RNA and an Argonaute protein at its core. However, exactly how RISC is assembled remained unclear, because there were no suitable tools to approach this question.
In the present study, a research group at the University of Tokyo led by Professor Tomari Yukihide has identified all seven proteins necessary for RISC assembly and succeeded in reconstituting RISC in a test tube. Moreover, by using single-molecule imaging technique, they successfully observed the process of RISC assembly at the single-molecule resolution.
This finding not only reveals the molecular mechanism of how RISC is assembled, but will also contribute to the research applications of RNAi such as the development of RNA-based next-generation drugs.
The article can be found at: Iwasaki et al. (2015) Defining Fundamental Steps In The Assembly Of The Drosophila RNAi Enzyme Complex.
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Source: The University of Tokyo.
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