Cell type- and tissue context-dependent nuclear distribution of human Ago2

Nishi R. Sharma, Xiaohong Wang, Vladimir Majerciak, Masahiko Ajiro, Michael Kruhlak, Craig Meyers, Zhi Ming Zheng

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

29 Scopus citations

Abstract

Argonaute-2 protein (Ago2), a major component of RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), has been viewed as a cytoplasmic protein. In this study, we demonstrated by immunofluorescence confocal microscopy that Ago2 is distributed mainly as a nuclear protein in primary human foreskin keratinocytes in monolayer cultures and their derived organotypic (raft) cultures, although it exhibits only a minimal level of nuclear distribution in continuous cell lines such as HeLa and HaCaT cells. Oncogenic human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) or type 18 (HPV18) infection of the keratinocytes does not affect the nuclear Ago2 distribution. Examination of human tissues reveals that Ago2 exhibits primarily as a nuclear protein in skin, normal cervix, and cervical cancer tissues, but not in larynx. Together, our data provide the first convincing evidence that the subcellular distribution of Ago2 occurs in a cell type- and tissue context-dependent manner and may correlate with its various functions in regulation of gene expression.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2302-2309
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Biological Chemistry
Volume291
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 29 2016

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

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