TY - JOUR
T1 - Processing of primary microRNAs by the Microprocessor complex
AU - Denli, Ahmet M.
AU - Tops, Bastiaan B.J.
AU - Plasterk, Ronald H.A.
AU - Ketting, René F.
AU - Hannon, Gregory J.
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgements We thank F. Rivas for critical reading of the manuscript. Strain BC3825 was obtained from the C. elegans Genetics Center, and drsh-1(tm0654) was obtained from the NBP in Japan (Mitani laboratory). We thank E. Cuppen and his group for help in target-selected mutagenesis. A.M.D. is a David Koch Fellow of the Watson School of Biological Sciences. G.J.H. is supported by an Innovator Award from the US Army Breast Cancer Research Program. This work was also supported by a grant from the NIH (G.J.H.) and by a VENI fellowship from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (R.F.K.).
PY - 2004/11/11
Y1 - 2004/11/11
N2 - Mature microRNAs (miRNAs) are generated via a two-step processing pathway to yield ∼22-nucleotide small RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Initial cleavage is catalysed by Drosha, a nuclease of the RNase III family, which acts on primary miRNA transcripts (pri-miRNAs) in the nucleus. Here we show that Drosha exists in a multi-protein complex, the Microprocessor, and begin the process of deconstructing that complex into its constituent components. Along with Drosha, the Microprocessor also contains Pasha (partner of Drosha), a double-stranded RNA binding protein. Suppression of Pasha expression in Drosophila cells or Caenorhabditis elegans interferes with pri-miRNA processing, leading to an accumulation of pri-miRNAs and a reduction in mature miRNAs. Finally, depletion or mutation of pash-1 in C. elegans causes de-repression of a let-7 reporter and the appearance of phenotypic defects overlapping those observed upon examination of worms with lesions in Dicer (dcr-1) or Drosha (drsh-1). Considered together, these results indicate a role for Pasha in miRNA maturation and miRNA-mediated gene regulation.
AB - Mature microRNAs (miRNAs) are generated via a two-step processing pathway to yield ∼22-nucleotide small RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Initial cleavage is catalysed by Drosha, a nuclease of the RNase III family, which acts on primary miRNA transcripts (pri-miRNAs) in the nucleus. Here we show that Drosha exists in a multi-protein complex, the Microprocessor, and begin the process of deconstructing that complex into its constituent components. Along with Drosha, the Microprocessor also contains Pasha (partner of Drosha), a double-stranded RNA binding protein. Suppression of Pasha expression in Drosophila cells or Caenorhabditis elegans interferes with pri-miRNA processing, leading to an accumulation of pri-miRNAs and a reduction in mature miRNAs. Finally, depletion or mutation of pash-1 in C. elegans causes de-repression of a let-7 reporter and the appearance of phenotypic defects overlapping those observed upon examination of worms with lesions in Dicer (dcr-1) or Drosha (drsh-1). Considered together, these results indicate a role for Pasha in miRNA maturation and miRNA-mediated gene regulation.
KW - Animals
KW - Caenorhabditis elegans/genetics
KW - Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins/genetics
KW - Cell Line
KW - Drosophila Proteins/chemistry
KW - Drosophila melanogaster/genetics
KW - Endoribonucleases/genetics
KW - Genes, Reporter/genetics
KW - Humans
KW - MicroRNAs/genetics
KW - Multiprotein Complexes
KW - Phenotype
KW - Protein Binding
KW - Protein Structure, Tertiary
KW - RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional
KW - RNA-Binding Proteins/chemistry
KW - Ribonuclease III/chemistry
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=9144224451&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/nature03049
DO - 10.1038/nature03049
M3 - Article
C2 - 15531879
AN - SCOPUS:9144224451
SN - 0028-0836
VL - 432
SP - 231
EP - 235
JO - Nature
JF - Nature
IS - 7014
ER -