Merck, MABE56, Anti-pan Ago Antibody, clone 2A8

Argonaute (Ago) proteins are a family of proteins of ~95 kDa that bind directly to mature miRNAs. In mammals, there are four Ago proteins (Ago1-4). This family of proteins is a central component of most mammalian miRNPs that mediates important functions in small RNA-directed regulatory pathways. The Ago family consists of two subclases, Ago and Piwi containing two characteristic domains known as PAZ and PIWI. These two domains interact with different parts of the mature miRNA. The PAZ domain interacts with the 3’-end of the miRNA, and the PIWI domain interacts with the 5’ phosphate and 5’-proximal region of the miRNA to guide target mRNA recognition.