Title
Collapse of germline piRNAs in the absence of Argonaute3 reveals somatic piRNAs in flies
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology; Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology; Program in Molecular Medicine; Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Publication Date
2009-04-28
Document Type
Article
Disciplines
Life Sciences | Medicine and Health Sciences
Abstract
Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) silence transposons in animal germ cells. piRNAs are thought to derive from long transcripts spanning transposon-rich genomic loci and to direct an autoamplification loop in which an antisense piRNA, bound to Aubergine or Piwi protein, triggers production of a sense piRNA bound to the PIWI protein Argonaute3 (Ago3). In turn, the new piRNA is envisioned to produce a second antisense piRNA. Here, we describe strong loss-of-function mutations in ago3, allowing a direct genetic test of this model. We find that Ago3 acts to amplify piRNA pools and to enforce on them an antisense bias, increasing the number of piRNAs that can act to silence transposons. We also detect a second, Ago3-independent piRNA pathway centered on Piwi. Transposons targeted by this second pathway often reside in the flamenco locus, which is expressed in somatic ovarian follicle cells, suggesting a role for piRNAs beyond the germline.
DOI of Published Version
10.1016/j.cell.2009.04.027
Source
Cell. 2009 May 1;137(3):509-21. Epub 2009 Apr 23. Link to article on publisher's site
Journal/Book/Conference Title
Cell
Related Resources
PubMed ID
19395009
Repository Citation
Li C, Vagin VV, Lee S, Xu J, Ma S, Xi H, Seitz H, Horwich MD, Syrzycka M, Honda BM, Kittler EL, Zapp ML, Klattenhoff CA, Schultz N, Theurkauf WE, Weng Z, Zamore PD. (2009). Collapse of germline piRNAs in the absence of Argonaute3 reveals somatic piRNAs in flies. GSBS Student Publications. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2009.04.027. Retrieved from https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/gsbs_sp/1609