Loading and pre-loading processes generate a distinct siRNA population in Tetrahymena.

ABSTRACT: The various properties of small RNAs, such as length, terminal nucleotide, thermodynamic asymmetry and duplex mismatches, can impact their sorting into different Argonaute proteins in diverse eukaryotes. The developmentally regulated 26- to 32-nt siRNAs (scnRNAs) are loaded to the Argonaute protein Twi1p and display a strong bias for uracil at the 5' end. In this study, we used deep sequencing to analyze loaded and unloaded populations of scnRNAs. We show that the size of the scnRNA is determined during a pre-loading process, whereas their 5' uracil bias is attributed to both pre-loading and loading processes. We also demonstrate that scnRNAs have a strong bias for adenine at the third base from the 3' terminus, suggesting that most scnRNAs are direct Dicer products. Furthermore, we show t

SUBMITTER: Mochizuki K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3714595 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature