Argonautes, the most well-studied family of nucleic-acid binding proteins, are RNase H-like enzymes that carry out the catalytic functions of the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). In the well-known cellular process of RNA interference, the argonaute protein in the RISC complex can bind both small interfering RNA (siRNA) generated from exogenous double-stranded RNA and microRNA (miRNA) generated from endogenous non-coding RNA, both produced by the ribonuclease Dicer, to form an RNA-RISC complex.
Argonautes are the most thoroughly investigated family of nucleic-acid binding proteins that perform the catalytic roles of the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). In the well-documented cellular process of RNA interference, the argonaute protein in the RISC complex binds both small interfering RNA (siRNA) and microRNA (miRNA), which are generated by the ribonuclease Dicer from exogenous and endogenous non-coding RNA, to form an RNA-RISC complex.