DCL3

DCL3 is a gene in plants that codes for the DCL3 protein, a ribonuclease III enzyme involved in plants specific pathway RNA-directed DNA methylation. Where DCL3 cleaves endogenous double-stranded RNAs into 24 nucleotide small [interfering RNA]s. The main difference to other DCLs is the dsRNA source, which precursor for DCL3 is generally transcribed in heterochromatic regions by the RNA polymerase complex, RNA polymerase IV, producing single-stranded RNA roughly of 30 to 45 nucleotides in length, which are converted into dsRNA by RNA-dependent [RNA polymerase 2]. Once cleaved by DCL3, the 24-nt siRNA strand is loaded into AGO4, which interacts with Pol V–transcribed long noncoding RNAs and recruits domains-rearranged methylase 2, facilitating DNA methylation.