Abstract
Ribonucleases play important roles in the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway. The Dicer endonuclease converts double-stranded (ds)RNA into small interfering (si)RNA and the Slicer endonuclease, as a component of the RNA induced silencing complex (RISC), cleaves mRNA. Tudor staphylococcal nuclease (Tudor-SN) is another component of RISC in humans, flies and nematodes and is therefore implicated in the RNAi pathway. Here, we explore the potential role of African trypanosome Tudor-SN in RNAi. First, we assembled tudor-sn null mutants and showed that the gene is dispensable for normal growth and for differentiation. Next, we developed an inducible RNAi reporter system and demonstrated that Tudor-SN is dispensable for RNAi. The kinetics of mRNA knock-down, protein knock-down and protein recovery following inactivation of dsRNA expression are all unperturbed in the absence of Tudor-SN. We conclude that if this nuclease plays a role in the destruction or processing of dsRNA, mRNA or siRNA in the RNAi pathway, it is likely a minor one. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 70-73 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology |
Volume | 174 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Nov 2010 |
Keywords
- ELEGANS
- REARRANGEMENTS
- RISC
- CLEAVAGE
- SN
- DOUBLE-STRANDED-RNA
- BRUCEI
- PROMOTES
- DICER
- Ribonuclease
- ARGONAUTE
- EXPRESSION
- Trypanosoma brucei