How Does Dicer Work?

The enzyme dicer trims double stranded RNA or pri-miRNA to form small interfering RNA or microRNA, respectively. These processed RNAs are incorporated into the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), which targets messenger RNA to prevent translation.

What does the Dicer enzyme do?

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.

How does Dicer cleave dsRNA?

As 3′ overhang length increases, the corresponding length of the primary cleavage product decreases. Thus, when overhang length is 0–3 nt it appears as though Dicer cleaves dsRNA by “counting” a distance of approximately 23 nt from the 3′ end of the overhang to cleave both strands.