How argonaute proteins intervene in the gene regulation process
Thursday, November 14, 2013 - 09:00
in Biology & Nature
Bioscientists at Heidelberg University have studied the function of certain proteins, known as Argonaute (Ago) proteins, in the process of gene regulation. They sought to understand why only the Ago2 protein is able to target and directly turn off genes in humans, while the closely related Ago3 protein is not. Using a new investigative method, researchers working with Dr. Dirk Grimm were able to identify for the first time two "motifs" of this protein that, when properly combined with an already known protein domain, give Ago2 its gene-silencing capability. The researchers hope that the results will open up new avenues in basic biological and medical research toward artificially induced gene silencing.