Molecular mechanisms of Dicer: endonuclease and enzymatic activity

Biochem J. 2017 May 4;474(10):1603-1618. doi: 10.1042/BCJ20160759.

Abstract

The enzyme Dicer is best known for its role as a riboendonuclease in the small RNA pathway. In this canonical role, Dicer is a critical regulator of the biogenesis of microRNA and small interfering RNA, as well as a growing number of additional small RNAs derived from various sources. Emerging evidence demonstrates that Dicer's endonuclease role extends beyond the generation of small RNAs; it is also involved in processing additional endogenous and exogenous substrates, and is becoming increasingly implicated in regulating a variety of other cellular processes, outside of its endonuclease function. This review will describe the canonical and newly identified functions of Dicer.

Keywords: endoribonuclease Dicer; microRNA; small interfering RNA; viral small RNA.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis
  • DEAD-box RNA Helicases / chemistry
  • DEAD-box RNA Helicases / genetics
  • DEAD-box RNA Helicases / metabolism*
  • Exosomes / enzymology
  • Exosomes / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation*
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions
  • Humans
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism
  • Models, Molecular*
  • Phylogeny
  • Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs
  • RNA Interference*
  • RNA Stability*
  • RNA, Small Cytoplasmic / metabolism*
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism
  • RNA, Small Nucleolar / metabolism*
  • RNA, Transfer / metabolism
  • RNA, Viral / metabolism
  • Ribonuclease III / chemistry
  • Ribonuclease III / genetics
  • Ribonuclease III / metabolism*
  • Substrate Specificity
  • Trinucleotide Repeats

Substances

  • MicroRNAs
  • RNA, Small Cytoplasmic
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • RNA, Small Nucleolar
  • RNA, Viral
  • RNA, Transfer
  • DICER1 protein, human
  • Ribonuclease III
  • DEAD-box RNA Helicases