Genes and mechanisms related to RNA interference regulate expression of the small temporal RNAs that control C. elegans developmental timing
Grishok, Alla Pasquinelli, Amy E. Conte, Darryl Jr. Li, Na Parrish, Susan Ha, Ilho Baillie, David L. Fire, Andrew Z. Ruvkun, Gary Mello, Craig C.
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Abstract
RNAi is a gene-silencing phenomenon triggered by double-stranded (ds) RNA and involves the generation of 21 to 26 nt RNA segments that guide mRNA destruction. In Caenorhabditis elegans, lin-4 and let-7 encode small temporal RNAs (stRNAs) of 22 nt that regulate stage-specific development. Here we show that inactivation of genes related to RNAi pathway genes, a homolog of Drosophila Dicer (dcr-1), and two homologs of rde-1 (alg-1 and alg-2), cause heterochronic phenotypes similar to lin-4 and let-7 mutations. Further we show that dcr-1, alg-1, and alg-2 are necessary for the maturation and activity of the lin-4 and let-7 stRNAs. Our findings suggest that a common processing machinery generates guide RNAs that mediate both RNAi and endogenous gene regulation.
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Cell. 2001 Jul 13;106(1):23-34.