Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 2C2 (EIF2C2)

EIF2C2 encodes a member of the Argonaute family of proteins which play a role in RNA interference. The encoded protein is highly basic, and contains a PAZ domain and a PIWI domain. It may interact with Dicer1 and play a role in short-interfering-RNA-mediated gene silencing.

GEMIN3 (DDX20) is a DEAD box RNA helicase that binds to the SMN protein and is a component of the SMN complex, which also contains GEMIN2, GEMIN4, GEMIN5, and GEMIN6. GEMIN3 and GEMIN4 are also in a separate complex that contains EIF2C2, a member of the argonaute protein family. This novel complex is a large, approximately 15S RNP that contains numerous microRNAs, a class of small endogenous RNAs.