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Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Protein Extract Preparation and Co-immunoprecipitation from Caenorhabditis elegans
Published on: May 23, 2020
Structure and function of argonaute proteins
1Laboratory of Structural Biology, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA. hall4@niehs.nih.gov
Abstract:
Argonaute (Ago) family proteins are multidomain proteins expressed in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. In eukaryotes, Ago proteins are most well known for their roles in RNA silencing. In prokaryotes, the functions of Ago proteins are unknown, but based on their similarity to eukaryotic Ago proteins, they could be involved in nucleic acid-directed regulatory pathways related to RNA silencing. Recent structural and biochemical studies have shed new light on the function of this family of proteins. These studies reveal how these proteins recognize and cleave RNA and suggest a function for prokaryotic family members.
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