Sebastian Falk

A pseudohelicase-centered complex couples assembly-dependent RNA cleavage to poly(UG)ylation

Robust RNA interference in Caenorhabditis elegans requires Argonaute targeted RNAs to be cleaved by RDE 8 and poly(UG)ylated by MUT 2, generating templates for RNA dependent RNA polymerases that synthesize secondary small RNAs. RDE 8 and MUT 2 are physically coupled within the cl...

An evolutionarily conserved N-terminal domain of RRF-3 governs GTSF-1 binding in nematodes

Abstract GTSF1 is an essential activating cofactor for PIWI proteins in many metazoans. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans , however, GTSF-1 does not bind PIWI, but is associated with the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase RRF-3, supporting endo-siRNA (26G-RNA) biogenesis. Here, we...