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Table 1 List of key miRNA pathway genes in animals, plants and algae

From: Mechanisms of microRNA-mediated gene regulation in unicellular model alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

 

Gene (gene products)

Function in miRNA pathway

Animals (C. elegans)

Plants (A. thaliana)

Algae (C. reinhardtii)

miRNA biogenesis

Dicer (Ribonuclease III)

Cleavage of pre-miRNA or pri-miRNA

Drosha [11, 12]; Dicer1 [81, 82]

DCL1 [18, 19, 21]

CrDCL3 [33]

DRB (Double-stranded RNA binding Protein)

Assist efficient and precise cleavage of pri-miRNA through interaction with Dicer

Pasha [12, 13]

DRB1(HYL1) [20, 22, 23, 26]; DRB2 [87,88,89]; DRB5 [90]

DUS16 [35, 91]

?

Others

Other nuclear regulators in primary microRNA processing

Ars2 [75, 76]

SE [24, 25]

?

miRNA export

Exportin

Export pre-miRNA or miRNA/miRNA* from nucleus to cytoplasm

Exportin5 [14, 15]

HASTY [79, 80]

?

miRNA action

AGO (Argonaute)

Central component of RISC, mediate miRNA-directed regulation of endogenous gene expression

AGO1 [17]; AGO2 [34]

AGO1 [54, 55]; AGO2 [56]; AGO4 [57]; AGO5 [36]; AGO7 [58]; AGO10 [107]

CrAGO3 [34, 74]

RISC (RNA-induced silencing complex)

This complex consists of several proteins and RNA molecules that altogether trigger transcript degradation or preventing translation of target mRNA

eIF6 [59, 60]; eIF2C2, Gemin4, Gemin3 [61,62,63]

HSP90 [107]; EMA1 [84]; TRN1 [84]

?

mature miRNA modification

HEN1 (small RNA methyl transferase)

Methylation prevents miRNAs from degradation triggered by uridylation

–

HEN1 [18, 27,28,29]

?

miRNA degradation

Uridylation

Terminal nucleotidyl transferase that prefers to add untem-plated uridine to the 3′ end of RNA

–

HESO1 [108, 109]; URT1 [110]; SDN1, SDN2 [30, 107,108,109]

MUT68 [118]; RRP6 [118]

  1. Unidentified genes in C. reinhardtii are indicated with ‘?’