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Updated: Feb 25, 2026

MicroRNA-based Regulation of Picornavirus Tropism
Published on: February 6, 2017
Structural Foundations of RNA Silencing by Argonaute
Jessica Sheu-Gruttadauria1, Ian J MacRae1
1Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
Abstract:
Nearly every cell in the human body contains a set of programmable gene-silencing proteins named Argonaute. Argonaute proteins mediate gene regulation by small RNAs and thereby contribute to cellular homeostasis during diverse physiological process, such as stem cell maintenance, fertilization, and heart development. Over the last decade, remarkable progress has been made toward understanding Argonaute proteins, small RNAs, and their roles in eukaryotic biology. Here, we review current understanding of Argonaute proteins from a structural prospective and discuss unanswered questions surrounding this fascinating class of enzymes.
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