Protein argonaute-1 (AGO1)

Required for RNA-mediated gene silencing (RNAi). Binds to short RNAs such as microRNAs (miRNAs) or short interfering RNAs (siRNAs), and represses the translation of mRNAs that are complementary to them.

Lacks endonuclease activity and does not appear to cleave target mRNAs. Also required for transcriptional gene silencing (TGS) of promoter regions that are complementary to bound brief antigene RNAs (agRNAs).