Cloning and characterization of the Argonaute-1 gene from Macrobrachium rosenbergii

Abstract

RNA interference (RNAi) is a post-transcriptional gene silencing process mediated by a unique family of RNA-binding proteins named Argonaute (Ago). In this study, we identified and characterized the gene encoding Argonaute-1 from the giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii. The complete open reading frame of M. rosenbergii Ago1 gene (MrAgo1) consisted of 2823 nucleotides encoding a polypeptide of 840 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 105 kDa and an isoelectric point of 9.36. Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence of MrAgo1 revealed the presence of two signature domains of Ago proteins, PAZ and PIWI. ??Phylogenetic analysis indicated that MrAgo1 is classified into Ago subfamily and shared the highest amino acid sequence identity (91%) with Marsupenaeus japonicus Ago1. MrAgo1 was highly expressed in lymphoid organ and gills. Further studies elucidating the mechanism of action of MrAgo1 will be benefit in understanding the mechanism of RNAi in this economically important species.