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An siRNA ribonucleoprotein is found associated with polyribosomes in Trypanosoma brucei
Appolinaire Djikeng1, Huafang Shi, Christian Tschudi
1Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University Medical School, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8022, USA.
Abstract:
Genetic interference by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) or RNA interference (RNAi) triggers the sequence-specific degradation of cellular transcripts. The mediators of mRNA degradation are small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Here, we report that in Trypanosoma brucei, 10%-20% of siRNAs cosediment with polyribosomes. Preventing the assembly of ribosomes on mRNAs results in a concomitant decrease of siRNAs sedimenting as high-molecular-weight complexes. We further provide evidence that siRNAs are associated with translating ribosomes and that this association is mediated by a 70-kD ribonucleoprotein complex.