Functional dissection of a plant Argonaute.

ABSTRACT: RNA guided ribonuclease complexes play central role in RNA interference. Members of the evolutionarily conserved Argonaute protein family form the catalytic cores of these complexes. Unlike a number of other plant Argonautes, the role of AGO2 has been obscure until recently. Newer data, however, have indicated its involvement in various biotic and abiotic stress responses. Despite its suggested importance, there is no detailed characterization of this protein to date. Here we report cloning and molecular characterization of the AGO2 protein of the virological model plant Nicotiana benthamiana. We show that AGO2 can directly repress translation via various miRNA target site constellations (ORF, 3' UTR). Interestingly, although AGO2 seems to be able to silence gene expression in a slicing in

SUBMITTER: Fatyol K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4756824 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature