Dicer is associated with ribosomal DNA chromatin in mammalian cells.

ABSTRACT:

Background

RNA silencing is a common term for pathways utilizing small RNAs as sequence-specific guides to repress gene expression. Components of the RNA silencing machinery are involved in different aspects of chromatin function in numerous organisms. However, association of RNA silencing with chromatin in mammalian cells remains unclear.

Methodology/principal findings

Immunostaining of mitotic chromosomes with antibodies visualizing either endogenous or ectopically expressed Dicer in mammalian cells revealed association of the protein with ribosomal DNA (rDNA) repeats. Chromatin immunoprecipitations and bisulfite sequencing experiments indicated that Dicer is associated with transcribed regions of both active and silenced genes in rDNA arrays of interphase chromosomes. Met

SUBMITTER: Sinkkonen L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2921364 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature