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Microprocessor complex
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<p>The microprocessor complex is a <a href="/facts/Protein_complex/GW11Ee34">protein complex</a> involved in the early stages of processing <a href="/facts/MicroRNA/UjqbYYpe">microRNA</a> (miRNA) and <a href="/facts/RNA_interference/oJRWBXJH">RNA interference</a> (RNAi) in animal cells. The complex is minimally composed of the <a href="/facts/Ribonuclease/Fod4qUu5">ribonuclease</a> enzyme <a href="/facts/Drosha/nPl2pp5j">Drosha</a> and the dimeric <a href="/facts/RNA-binding_protein/qTPTczLC">RNA-binding protein</a> <a href="/facts/DGCR8/pvTEXmDh">DGCR8</a> (also known as Pasha in non-human animals), and cleaves primary miRNA <a href="/facts/Substrate_(chemistry)/6MnaV19h">substrates</a> to pre-miRNA in the <a href="/facts/Cell_nucleus/D7sFRa3c">cell nucleus</a>. Microprocessor is also the smaller of the two multi-protein complexes that contain human <a href="/facts/Drosha/nPl2pp5j">Drosha</a>. </p>