Ribonuclease activity and RNA binding of recombinant human Dicer

Abstract

RNA silencing phenomena, known as post-transcriptional gene silencing in plants, quelling in fungi, and RNA interference (RNAi) in animals, are mediated by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) and mechanistically intersect at the ribonuclease Dicer. Here, we report cloning and expression of the 218 kDa human Dicer, and characterization of its ribonuclease activity and dsRNA-binding properties. The recombinant enzyme generated ∼21-23 nucleotide products from dsRNA. Processing of the microRNA let-7 precursor by Dicer produced an apparently mature let-7 RNA. Mg2+ was required for dsRNase activity, but not for dsRNA binding, thereby uncoupling these reaction steps. ATP was dispensable for dsRNase activity in vitro. The Dicer-dsRNA complex formed at high KCI concentrations was catalytically inactive, suggesting that ionic interactions are involved in dsRNA cleavage. The putative dsRNA-binding domain located at the C-terminus of Dicer was demonstrated to bind dsRNA in vitro. Human Dicer expressed in mammalian cells colocalized with calreticulin, a resident protein of the endoplasmic reticulum. Availability of the recombinant Dicer protein will help improve our understanding of RNA silencing and other Dicer-related processes.