miRNAs are loaded onto Argonautes (Agos) to guide silencing of targets, but duplex unwinding is required for targeting. Detection of Drosophila Ago1 complexes containing the duplexed or unwound miRNA now give insight into the basis for cleavage-independent unwinding of miRNA duplexes to generate a functional, mature complex.
- Tomoko Kawamata
- Hervé Seitz
- Yukihide Tomari
