PAZ domain, dicer_like subfamily. Dicer is an RNAse involved in cleaving dsRNA in the RNA interference pathway. It generates dsRNAs which are approximately 20 bp long (siRNAs), which in turn target hydrolysis of homologous RNAs. PAZ domains are named after the proteins Piwi Argonaut and Zwille. PAZ is found in two families of proteins that are essential components of RNA-mediated gene-silencing pathways, including RNA interference, the piwi and Dicer families. PAZ functions as a nucleic-acid binding domain, with a strong preference for single-stranded nucleic acids (RNA or DNA) or RNA duplexes with single-stranded 3' overhangs. It has been suggested that the PAZ domain provides a unique mode for the recognition of the two 3'-terminal nucleotides in single-stranded nucleic acids and buries the 3' OH group, and that it might recognize characteristic 3' overhangs in siRNAs within RISC (RNA-induced silencing) and other complexes.
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