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Review
. 2016 Feb;28(2):272-85.
doi: 10.1105/tpc.15.00920. Epub 2016 Feb 11.

RNAi in Plants: An Argonaute-Centered View

Xiaofeng Fang  1 , Yijun Qi  2
Affiliations
Review

RNAi in Plants: An Argonaute-Centered View

Xiaofeng Fang et al. Plant Cell. 2016 Feb.

Abstract

Argonaute (AGO) family proteins are effectors of RNAi in eukaryotes. AGOs bind small RNAs and use them as guides to silence target genes or transposable elements at the transcriptional or posttranscriptional level. Eukaryotic AGO proteins share common structural and biochemical properties and function through conserved core mechanisms in RNAi pathways, yet plant AGOs have evolved specialized and diversified functions. This Review covers the general features of AGO proteins and highlights recent progress toward our understanding of the mechanisms and functions of plant AGOs.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Phylogenetic Analysis of Plant AGO Family Proteins. The protein sequences of selected AGOs were obtained from JGI Phytozome (http://phytozome.jgi.doe.gov) and aligned using ClustalW. The neighbor-joining tree was constructed using the MEGA6.0 software. Bootstrap values (10,000 replicates) are presented near each branch. Abbreviations for selected species are as follows: Physcomitrella patens, Pp; Arabidopsis thaliana, At; Populus trichocarpa, Pt; Zea mays, Zm; Oryza sativa, Os.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Modes of Action of Representative Plant AGO Proteins. (A) AGO1 binds miRNAs or ta-siRNAs and cleaves target mRNAs. (B) AGO1 binds miRNAs and inhibits the translation of target mRNAs. (C) Arabidopsis AGO10 and rice AGO18 act as decoys for miR165/166 and miR168, respectively. (D) AGO4 binds hc-siRNAs or lmiRNAs and mediates DNA methylation. (E) AGO2 binds diRNAs and mediates DSB repair.
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