Argonaute Surveillance and Dicer-Independent priRNAs TriggerRNAi and Heterochromatin Formation

ABSTRACT: The assembly of fission yeast pericentromeric heterochromatin and generation of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) from noncoding centromeric transcripts are mutually dependent processes. How this interdependent positive feedback loop is first triggered is a fundamental unanswered question. Here we show that two distinct Argonaute (Ago1)-dependent pathways mediate small RNA generation. RNA-dependent RNA polymerase complex (RDRC) and Dicer act on specific noncoding RNAs to generate siRNAs by a mechanism that requires the slicer activity of Ago1 but is independent of pre-existing heterochromatin. In the absence of RDRC or Dicer, a distinct class of small RNAs, called primal small RNAs (priRNAs), associate with Ago1. priRNAs are degradation products of abundant transcripts, which bind to Ago1 an

ORGANISM(S): Schizosaccharomyces pombe

SUBMITTER: Mario Halic 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-19734 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress