Argonaute Proteins at a Glance Christine Ender and Gunter Meister
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Cell Science at a Glance 1819 Argonaute proteins at a RNAs) – ncRNAs that are characteristically Biogenesis of miRNAs and siRNAs ~20-35 nucleotides long – are required for miRNAs glance the regulation of gene expression in many Generally, miRNAs are transcribed by RNA different organisms. Most small RNA species polymerase II or III to form stem-loop-structured Christine Ender1 and Gunter fall into one of the following three classes: primary miRNA transcripts (pri-miRNAs). pri- Meister1,2,* microRNAs (miRNAs), short-interfering RNAs miRNAs are processed in the nucleus by the 1 Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich (siRNAs) and Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) microprocessor complex, which contains (CIPSM), Laboratory of RNA Biology, Max-Planck- Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 (Carthew and Sontheimer, 2009). Although the RNAse III enzyme Drosha and its DiGeorge Martinsried, Germany different small RNA classes have different syndrome critical region gene 8 (DGCR8) 2University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany bio genesis pathways and exert different cofactor. The transcripts are cleaved at the stem *Author for correspondence functions, all of them must associate with a of the hairpin to produce a stem-loop- ([email protected]) member of the Argonaute protein family for structured miRNA precursor (pre-miRNA) of Journal of Cell Science 123, 1819-1823 activity. This article and its accompanying ~70 nucleotides. After this first processing step, © 2010. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd poster provide an overview of the different pre-miRNAs are exported into the cytoplasm by doi:10.1242/jcs.055210 classes of small RNAs and the manner in which exportin-5, where they are further processed they interact with Argonaute protein family by the RNAse III enzyme Dicer and its TRBP Although a large portion of the human genome members during small-RNA-guided gene (HIV transactivating response RNA-binding is actively transcribed into RNA, less than 2% silencing. In addition, we highlight recently protein) partner. Dicer produces a small double- encodes proteins. Most transcripts are non- uncovered structural features of Argonaute stranded RNA (dsRNA) intermediate of coding RNAs (ncRNAs), which have various proteins that shed light on their mechanism of ~22 nucleotides with 5 phosphates and cellular functions. Small ncRNAs (or small action. 2-nucleotide 3 overhangs. In subsequent Argonaute Proteins at a Glance Christine Ender and Gunter Meister Structure of Argonaute proteins Small-RNA biogenesis and mechanisms of action Highest Cytoplasm heterogeneity RNA binding Active site Nucleus dsRNA from exogenous sources siRNA from exogenous sources mRNA cleavage N terminus PAZ MID PIWI AGO L1 L2 siRNAs Cofactor Cofactor 3Ј OH-binding site 5Ј P-binding site Repetitive elements, Dicer 7 pseudogenes, other AGO m G AAA Crystal structure of ThermThermusus thermophilthermophilusus ArgonaArgonaute endo-siRNA loci AGO RISC Journal of Cell Science Endo-siRNAs PAZ MID BBackbone phosphorus aatoms are in yellow miRNAs (Reproduced( with Primary permissionp from Drosha miRNA DGCR8 WWang et al., 2008a) transcripts Processing Translational AGO repression and/or N Microprocessor deadenylation TRBP Dicer Pol miRNA L1 II/III precursor AGO m7G AAA AGO PIWI Exportin-5 miRNAs miRNP L2 Ribosome Splicing Guide-DNA–target-RNA duplex used in crystal structure 110 21 Guide DNA 5Ј p-TGAGGTAGTAGGTTGTATAGT 3Ј Mirtron Spliceosome Primary piRNA generation oo piRNAs Target RNA3Ј UGCUCCAUCACUCAACAUAU 5Ј 1Ј 10Ј 19Ј Repetitive elements, piRNA precursors transposons, piRNA clusters Arginine methylation of Piwi proteins Sequence motifs MIWI2 MILI MIWI Generation of piRNA for symmetrical GRG 5Ј ends by MILI dimethylarginine GRA MILI PRMT5 MIWI (sDMA) modification, ARG MILI MILI MILI often in repeats MIWI ? TDRD MIWI2 sDMA CH CH 3 3 MIWI2 MIWI modification MILI Transposon silencing HN + NH Secondary processing: C ping-pong model TDRD NH MILI Trimming/cleavage MIWI2 CH of piRNA 3Ј ends 2 TDRD TDRD CH2 MIWI2 CH 2 TDRD MILI MIWI C + – H N H MILI Transposon silencing 3 COO Methylation of Piwi MIWI2 proteins enables their interaction with Generation of piRNA MIWI2 functionally important piRNA precursors 5Ј ends by MIWI2 TDRD = sDMA modification TDRD proteins Abbreviations: DGCR8, DiGeorge syndrome critical region gene 8; dsRNA, double-stranded RNA; endo-siRNA, as PIWIL1 (Piwi-like homolog 1); MIWI2, also known as PIWIL4 (Piwi-like homolog 4); piRNA, Piwi-interacting RNA; Pol siRNA derived from endogenous source; L1, linker 1; L2, linker 2; miRNA, microRNA; miRNP, miRNA-containing II/III, RNA polymerase II or III; PRMT5, protein arginine methyltransferase 5; RISC, RNA-induced silencing complex; siRNA, ribonucleoprotein particle; Mirtron, miRNA-intron; MILI, also known as PIWIL2 (Piwi-like homolog 2); MIWI, also known small-interfering RNA; TDRD, Tudor-domain-containing protein; TRBP, HIV transactivating response RNA-binding protein. © Journal of Cell Science 2010 (123, pp. 1819-1823) (See poster insert) 1820 Journal of Cell Science 123 (11) processing and unwinding steps, one strand of The Argonaute protein family Argonaute proteins typically have a the dsRNA intermediate is incorporated into an To perform their effector functions, small RNAs molecular weight of ~100 kDa and are Argonaute-protein-containing complex that is must be incorporated into Argonaute-protein- characterized by a Piwi-Argonaute-Zwille referred to as an miRNA-containing containing complexes. Argonaute proteins are (PAZ) domain and a PIWI domain. ribonucleoprotein particle (miRNP). The highly specialized small-RNA-binding Crystallographic studies of archaeal and opposite strand, the so-called miRNA* (miRNA modules and are considered to be the key bacterial Argonaute proteins revealed that the ‘star’) sequence, is thought to be degraded. In components of RNA-silencing pathways. PAZ domain, which is also common to Dicer some cases, however, miRNA* sequences can Argonaute proteins were named after an AGO- enzymes, forms a specific binding pocket for the also be functional (Packer et al., 2008). Mature knockout phenotype in Arabidopsis thaliana 3-protruding end of the small RNA with which miRNAs guide Argonaute-containing complexes that resembles the tentacles of the octopus it associates (Jinek and Doudna, 2009). The to target sites in mRNAs that are partially Argonauta argo (Bohmert et al., 1998). On the structure of the PIWI domain resembles that of complementary to the miRNA sequence, and basis of sequence homology, Argonaute bacterial RNAse H, which has been shown to induce repression of gene expression at the level proteins can be divided into two subclasses. cleave the RNA strand of an RNA-DNA hybrid of mRNA stability or translation (see poster). One resembles Arabidopsis AGO1 and is (Jinek and Doudna, 2009). More recently, it was In addition to this canonical miRNA referred to as the Ago subfamily; the other discovered that the catalytic activity of miRNA biogenesis pathway, some alternative is related to the Drosophila PIWI protein and is effector complexes, also referred to as Slicer miRNA biogenesis pathways have recently been referred to as the Piwi subfamily. activity, resides in the Argonaute protein itself. discovered. So-called mirtrons (miRNA- Members of the human Ago subfamily, which Interestingly, not all Argonaute proteins show introns) are miRNAs found in introns. They are consists of AGO1, AGO2, AGO3 and AGO4, endonucleolytic activity. In humans, only identical to pre-miRNAs with respect to their are ubiquitously expressed and associate with AGO2 has been shown to cleave the size and features, but are generated miRNAs and siRNAs. Ago proteins are phosphodiester bond of a target RNA, at a site independently of Drosha (Kim et al., 2009; conserved throughout species and many opposite nucleotides 10 and 11 of the siRNA, Siomi and Siomi, 2009). Moreover, some organisms express multiple family members, although the conserved aspartic acid-aspartic classes of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) can ranging from one in Schizosaccharomyces acid-histidine (DDH) motif (which is important be processed into small RNAs that act like pombe, five in Drosophila, eight in humans, ten for divalent metal ion binding and catalytic miRNAs (Ender et al., 2008; Scott et al., 2009; in Arabidopsis to twenty-seven in C. elegans activity) is also present in human AGO3 (Liu Taft et al., 2009). (Tolia and Joshua-Tor, 2007). Argonaute et al., 2004; Meister et al., 2004). proteins are also present in some species of More recently, structural studies have been siRNAs budding yeast, including Saccharomyces extended to Thermus thermophilus Argonaute in There are many similarities between the castellii. It was recently found that S. castellii complex with a guide strand only or a guide pathways by which miRNAs and siRNAs are expresses siRNAs that are produced by a Dicer DNA strand and a target RNA duplex. This processed. In contrast to miRNAs, however, protein that differs from the canonical analysis revealed that the structure of the siRNAs are processed independently of Drosha Dicer proteins found in animals, plants and other complex is divided into two lobes. One lobe from long dsRNAs that are derived from fungi (Drinnenberg et al., 2009). However, the contains the PAZ domain connected to the Journal of Cell Science either exogenous sources (to form exo- model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae N-terminal domain through a linker region, L1. siRNAs) or endogenous