Background
Dicer is an RNaseIII-like enzyme which cleaves double-stranded RNA into 21-23 nt RNAs. These RNAs are referred to as siRNA (short interfering RNA). It is believed to be essential in siRNA-mediated gene suppression.

Antigen
Rabbit anti-mouse Dicer polyclonal antibody was raised against a peptide corresponding to amino acids 131-149 (ASWTKERWSQEFTKHQVLI) and 1016-1032 (SAEKRKAKWESLQNKQI) of mouse Dicer (isoform CRA_a). These sequences are over 90% homologous in human and rat, but testing shows no response in human and rat ovary at the recommended testing conditions.

Application Notes
In mouse ovary, a 217 kDa band is observed.

Genebank Info (Protein)
EDL18787

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Reference
1. Doi, N, et al. Short-interfering-RNA-mediated gene silencing in mammalian cells requires Dicer and eIF2C translation initiation factors. Curr Biol. 2003 Jan 8;13(1):41-6.
2. Zhang, H, et al. Human Dicer preferentially cleaves dsRNAs at their termini without a requirement for ATP. EMBO J. 2002 Nov 1;21(21):5875-85.
3. Provost, P, et al. Dicer is required for chromosome segregation and gene silencing in fission yeast cells.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002 Dec 24;99(26):16648-53. Epub 2002 Dec 13.
4. G Lugli, Larson J, Martone ME, Jones Y and NR Smalheiser. Dicer and eIF2c are enriched at postsynaptic densities in adult mouse brain and are modified by neuronal activity in a calpain-dependent manner. J  Neurochem 94:896-905 (2005). 

Product Citations
1. miRNA and Dicer in the mammalian lens: expression of brain-specific miRNAs in the lens. Peter H. Frederikse, Robert Donnelly, Lukasz M. Partyka. Histochemistry and Cell Biology. Online First, January 2006. WB: rat lens from Sprague-Dawley rat eyes (Fig 5B). A band of ~217 kDa was detected with the IMGENEX IMG-538 pAb (lane 1) as well as with 2 other Dicer antibodies (lanes 2 and 3). 
2. MIWI associates with translational machinery and PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) in regulating spermatogenesis. Grivna ST, B Pyhtila, and H Lin. PNAS, 103: 13415-13420 (2006). Testes from adult CD-1 mice: Fig 4D (IP with an MIWI Ab and WB with Dicer IMG-538 pAb), Fig 4E (WB with Dicer IMG-538 pAb). Dicer was detected at the 250 kDa molecular standard marker in both the IP/WB and WB blots.