DICER1 : dicer 1, ribonuclease III
Description
The DICER1 (dicer 1, ribonuclease III) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 14.
The DICER1 gene encodes a protein that regulates the activity of other genes. It helps in producing microRNA (miRNA), a type of RNA that controls gene expression by blocking protein production. DICER1 cuts precursor RNA molecules to create miRNA, which then attaches to messenger RNA (mRNA), the blueprint for protein production, preventing protein synthesis. Through this regulation, DICER1 plays a role in many cellular processes, including cell growth, division, and differentiation.
DICER1 is a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) endoribonuclease that plays a crucial role in post-transcriptional gene silencing mediated by short dsRNAs. It cleaves long dsRNAs and short hairpin pre-microRNAs (miRNAs) into fragments of 21-23 nucleotides with a 2-nucleotide 3' overhang, generating short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and mature miRNAs, respectively. These siRNAs and miRNAs guide the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) to complementary RNAs, leading to their degradation or translational inhibition. RNA interference (RNAi) mediated by siRNAs controls the elimination of transcripts from mobile and repetitive DNA elements and exogenous RNA of viral origin. The miRNA pathway specifically regulates the expression of target genes.
DICER1 is also known as DCR1, Dicer, Dicer1e, GLOW, HERNA, K12H4.8-LIKE, MNG1, RMSE2, aviD.
Associated Diseases
- Global developmental delay, lung cysts, overgrowth, and wilms tumor
- Rhabdomyosarcoma, embryonal, 2
- Pleuropulmonary blastoma
- Familial multinodular goiter
- Goiter, multinodular 1
- DICER1 syndrome
