Background:
Dicer is a member of the RNase III family that specifically cleaves double-stranded RNAs to generate microRNAs (miRNAs). After long primary transcript pri-miRNAs are processed to stem-looped pre-miRNAs by Drosha, pre-miRNAs are transported to the cytoplasm and further processed by Dicer to produce 22-nucleotide mature miRNAs. The mature miRNA then becomes a part of the RNA-Induced Silencing Complex (RISC) and can bind to the 3' UTR of the target mRNA.
UniProt ID: Q9UPY3