In this paper, Kiriakidou’s lab establish a tool using fluorescence polarization of TAMRA-labeled small RNA to identify new compounds that inhibit the miRNA loading to Ago2 protein which is a crucial step in the RNA interference pathway. I found this paper interesting because the discovery of the miRNA and Ago protein binding will bring better understanding of function of the Ago protein as well as the the RNA interference pathway.
Some chemists should comment on the structure of this inhibitor. It looks like it has 3 identical components stuck together by a carbon in the middle. Those components are the same structure as salicylic acid, a major defense hormone in plants. Does this structure mimick RNA in any way? Would you be able to tell if it has off-target effects, if you are also affecting the miRNa and siRNA pathways?
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