Sequence determinants of dsRNA processing by DICER [Massively Parallel Assay]

RNA silencing relies on specific and efficient processing of dsRNA by DICER which produces microRNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). However, our current knowledge of DICER’s specificity is restricted to the secondary structures of its substrates: a dsRNA than 22 bp with a 2-nt 3′ overhang. We recently found evidence pointing to additional sequence-dependent determinant(s) beyond these features. To systematically interrogate the features of precursor miRNAs (pre-miRNAs), we carried out massively parallel assays with over a million pre-miRNA variants. Our analyses revealed a highly conserved cis-acting element, termed the “GYM” motif (paired G, paired pyrimidine, and mismatched C or A) at the cleavage site, which strongly promotes processing at a specific position. We find that the C-terminal double-stranded RNA binding domain (dsRBD) of DICER recognizes the GYM motif. Mutation of the dsRBD alters pre-miRNA cleavage sites and impairs processing in a motif-dependent fashion, which in turn affects the miRNA repertoire in cells. Consistently, integrating the GYM motif into short hairpin RNA (shRNA) or Dicer substrate siRNA (DsiRNA) potentiates RNA interference. AQ-seq (bias-minimized sRNA-seq) libraries were constructed as described in our previous study (Kim et al., 2019).