Project description:The Arabidopsis ARGONAUTE (AGO) protein AGO1 associates with microRNA (miRNA) and specific classes of short-interfering RNA (siRNA). AGO1-small RNA complexes recognize target RNA transcripts through base-pairing interactions and inhibit translation of target RNAs through endonucleolytic cleavage (slicing) or non-degradative mechanisms. The PIWI domain of AGO1 contains a metal-coordinating triad [Asp-Asp-His] (DDH) that is required for slicer activity. Here, we compared the activities of wild type (DDH) and slicer active-site defective (DAH) forms of AGO1 by sequencing small RNA and target transcript RNAs that co-immunoprecipitated with hemagglutinin (HA)-tagged AGO1 proteins. We found that the population of miRNA that associated with both AGO1-DDH and AGO1-DAH proteins largely overlapped, suggesting that cleavage activity does not affect miRNA maturation. In contrast, slicer-defective AGO1-miRNA complexes associated with target RNA more effectively than did wild type AGO1-miRNA. These data indicate that slicer-defective AGO proteins can be used as an approach to capture AGO-small RNA-target RNA ternary complexes more efficiently for genome-wide analyses.
Project description:The Arabidopsis ARGONAUTE (AGO) protein AGO1 associates with microRNA (miRNA) and specific classes of short-interfering RNA (siRNA). AGO1-small RNA complexes recognize target RNA transcripts through base-pairing interactions and inhibit translation of target RNAs through endonucleolytic cleavage (slicing) or non-degradative mechanisms. The PIWI domain of AGO1 contains a metal-coordinating triad [Asp-Asp-His] (DDH) that is required for slicer activity. Here, we compared the activities of wild type (DDH) and slicer active-site defective (DAH) forms of AGO1 by sequencing small RNA and target transcript RNAs that co-immunoprecipitated with hemagglutinin (HA)-tagged AGO1 proteins. We found that the population of miRNA that associated with both AGO1-DDH and AGO1-DAH proteins largely overlapped, suggesting that cleavage activity does not affect miRNA maturation. In contrast, slicer-defective AGO1-miRNA complexes associated with target RNA more effectively than did wild type AGO1-miRNA. These data indicate that slicer-defective AGO proteins can be used as an approach to capture AGO-small RNA-target RNA ternary complexes more efficiently for genome-wide analyses.
Project description:The Arabidopsis ARGONAUTE (AGO) protein AGO1 associates with microRNA (miRNA) and specific classes of short-interfering RNA (siRNA). AGO1-small RNA complexes recognize target RNA transcripts through base-pairing interactions and inhibit translation of target RNAs through endonucleolytic cleavage (slicing) or non-degradative mechanisms. The PIWI domain of AGO1 contains a metal-coordinating triad [Asp-Asp-His] (DDH) that is required for slicer activity. Here, we compared the activities of wild type (DDH) and slicer active-site defective (DAH) forms of AGO1 by sequencing small RNA and target transcript RNAs that co-immunoprecipitated with hemagglutinin (HA)-tagged AGO1 proteins. We found that the population of miRNA that associated with both AGO1-DDH and AGO1-DAH proteins largely overlapped, suggesting that cleavage activity does not affect miRNA maturation. In contrast, slicer-defective AGO1-miRNA complexes associated with target RNA more effectively than did wild type AGO1-miRNA. These data indicate that slicer-defective AGO proteins can be used as an approach to capture AGO-small RNA-target RNA ternary complexes more efficiently for genome-wide analyses. AGO1-DDH (wild type) AGO1-DAH (slicer mutant) proteins were immunoprecipitated (N-terminal 3xHA) from Arabidopsis (Columbia) flower (stages 1-12) lysate. Immunoprecipitate fractions were treated with nuclease P1 before cleanup to trim free RNA ends, and therefore enrich samples in AGO1 target sites. All samples were treated with Ribominus (Life Technologies) to reduce ribosomal RNA abundance. Transcript fragments from two replicates of AGO1-DDH and AGO1-DAH immunoprecipitates were sequenced. Ribominus-treated total RNA (input controls) was also sequenced for each replicate.
Project description:The Arabidopsis ARGONAUTE (AGO) protein AGO1 associates with microRNA (miRNA) and specific classes of short-interfering RNA (siRNA). AGO1-small RNA complexes recognize target RNA transcripts through base-pairing interactions and inhibit translation of target RNAs through endonucleolytic cleavage (slicing) or non-degradative mechanisms. The PIWI domain of AGO1 contains a metal-coordinating triad [Asp-Asp-His] (DDH) that is required for slicer activity. Here, we compared the activities of wild type (DDH) and slicer active-site defective (DAH) forms of AGO1 by sequencing small RNA and target transcript RNAs that co-immunoprecipitated with hemagglutinin (HA)-tagged AGO1 proteins. We found that the population of miRNA that associated with both AGO1-DDH and AGO1-DAH proteins largely overlapped, suggesting that cleavage activity does not affect miRNA maturation. In contrast, slicer-defective AGO1-miRNA complexes associated with target RNA more effectively than did wild type AGO1-miRNA. These data indicate that slicer-defective AGO proteins can be used as an approach to capture AGO-small RNA-target RNA ternary complexes more efficiently for genome-wide analyses. AGO1-DDH (wild type) AGO1-DAH (slicer mutant) proteins were immunoprecipitated (N-terminal 3xHA) from Arabidopsis (Columbia) flower (stages 1-12) lysate. Immunoprecipitations were also done from control plants transformed with vector only. Small RNA from immunoprecipitate fractions of vector, AGO1-DDH and AGO1-DAH were sequenced.
Project description:ARGONAUTE (AGO) RNA-binding proteins are involved in RNA silencing. They bind to short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) through a conserved PAZ domain, and, in animals, they assemble into a multisubunit RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). The mammalian AGO2, termed Slicer, directs siRNA- and miRNA-mediated cleavage of a target RNA. In Arabidopsis, there are 10 members of the AGO family, and the AGO1 protein is potentially the Slicer component in different RNA-silencing pathways. Here, we show that AGO1 selectively recruits certain classes of short silencing-related RNA. AGO1 is physically associated with miRNAs, transacting siRNAs, and transgene-derived siRNAs but excludes virus-derived siRNAs and 24-nt siRNAs involved in chromatin silencing. We also show that AGO1 has Slicer activity. It mediates the in vitro cleavage of a mir165 target RNA in a manner that depends on the sequence identity of amino acid residues in the PIWI domain that are predicted by homology with animal Slicer-competent AGO proteins to constitute the RNase catalytic center. However, unlike animals, we find no evidence that AGO1 Slicer is in a high molecular weight RNA-induced silencing complex. The Slicer activity fractionates as a complex of approximately 150 kDa that likely constitutes the AGO1 protein and associated RNA without any other proteins. Based on sequence similarity, we predict that other Arabidopsis AGOs might have a similar catalytic activity but recruit different subsets of siRNAs or miRNAs.