Fragile X-related protein and VIG associate with the RNA interference machinery

  1. Amy A. Caudy,
  2. Mike Myers,
  3. Gregory J. Hannon1, and
  4. Scott M. Hammond2
  1. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA

Abstract

RNA interference (RNAi) is a flexible gene silencing mechanism that responds to double-stranded RNA by suppressing homologous genes. Here, we report the characterization of RNAi effector complexes (RISCs) that contain small interfering RNAs and microRNAs (miRNAs). We identify two putative RNA-binding proteins, the Drosophilahomolog of the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), dFXR, and VIG (Vasa intronic gene), through their association with RISC. FMRP, the product of the human fragile X locus, regulates the expression of numerous mRNAs via an unknown mechanism. The possibility that dFXR, and potentially FMRP, use, at least in part, an RNAi-related mechanism for target recognition suggests a potentially important link between RNAi and human disease.

Keywords

Footnotes

  • 1 E-MAIL ; FAX (516) 367-8874.

  • 2 E-MAIL ; FAX (516) 367-8874.

  • Corresponding authors.

  • Article and publication are at http://www.genesdev.org/cgi/doi/10.1101/gad.1025202.

    • Received July 19, 2002.
    • Accepted August 9, 2002.
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