Defining the contribution of microRNA-specific slicing Argonautes in animals

microRNAs regulate gene expression through interaction with an Argonaute protein family member. While some members of this protein family retain an enzymatic activity capable of cleaving RNA molecules complementary to Argonaute-bound small RNAs, the role of the slicing activity in the canonical microRNA pathway is still unclear in animals. To address the importance of slicing Argonautes in animals, we created Caenorhabditis elegans strains, carrying catalytically dead endogenous ALG-1 and ALG-2, the only two slicing Argonautes essential for the miRNA pathway in this animal model. We observe that the loss of ALG-1 and ALG-2 slicing activity affects overall animal fitness and causes phenotypes, reminiscent of miRNA defects, only when grown and maintained at restrictive temperature. Furthermore, the analysis of global miRNA expression shows that the catalytic activity of ALG-1 and ALG-2 differentially regulate the level of specific subsets of miRNAs in young adults. We also demonstrate that altering the slicing activity of those miRNA-specific Argonautes does not result in any defect in the production of canonical miRNAs. Together, these data support that the slicing activity of miRNA-specific Argonautes function to maintain the levels of a set of miRNAs for optimal viability and fitness in animals particularly exposed to specific growing conditions.