Journal ClubPublished: 29 October 2026María R. Bustos1 &Carolyn M. Phillips ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-6228-64681 Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology (2026) Cite this articleView saved researchSmall RNAs guide Argonaute proteins to nucleic acid targets, but does the particular Argonaute–small RNA pairing actually matter? This question is especially compelling in Caenorhabditis elegans, which expresses diverse small RNAs and encodes an unusually large number of Argonaute proteins. In 2009, two complementary studies provided an answer and raised intriguing questions that remain largely unresolved.Five rounded rectangular shapes each contain a horizontal line with a semicircle cutout in the middle. The shapes are arranged in two rows, with three shapes on the top row and two on the bottom row.This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institutionAccess options Access through your institutionAccess Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journalsGet Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription34.99 € / 30 days cancel any timeLearn moreSubscribe to this journalReceive 12 print issues and online access269.00 € per year only 22.42 € per issueLearn moreBuy this articlePurchase on SpringerLinkInstant access to the full article PDF.39,95 €Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkoutSubjectsGene silencingRNAiReferencesOriginal articleGu, W. et al. Distinct argonaute-mediated 22G-RNA pathways direct genome surveillance in the C. elegans germline. Mol. Cell 36, 231–244 (2009)Article CAS PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar Related articleClaycomb, J. M. et al. The Argonaute CSR-1 and its 22G-RNA cofactors are required for holocentric chromosome segregation. Cell 139, 123–134 (2009)Article CAS PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar Download referencesAuthor informationAuthors and AffiliationsDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USAMaría R. Bustos & Carolyn M. PhillipsAuthorsMaría R. BustosView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarCarolyn M. PhillipsView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarCorresponding authorCorrespondence to Carolyn M. Phillips.Ethics declarationsCompeting interestsThe authors declare no competing interests.Rights and permissionsReprints and permissionsAbout this article