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      piRNAs, transposon silencing, and Drosophila germline development

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      Author(s): ,
      Publication date (Print):
      Journal: The Journal of Cell Biology
      Publisher: The Rockefeller University Press

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          Abstract

          Transposons are prominent features of most eukaryotic genomes and mobilization of these elements triggers genetic instability. Transposon silencing is particularly critical in the germline, which maintains the heritable genetic complement. Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) have emerged as central players in transposon silencing and genome maintenance during germline development. In particular, research on Drosophila oogenesis has provided critical insights into piRNA biogenesis and transposon silencing. In this system, the ability to place piRNA mutant phenotypes within a well-defined developmental framework has been instrumental in elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying the connection between piRNAs and transposon control.

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          Small silencing RNAs: an expanding universe.

          Megha Ghildiyal, Phillip Zamore (2009)
          Since the discovery in 1993 of the first small silencing RNA, a dizzying number of small RNA classes have been identified, including microRNAs (miRNAs), small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs). These classes differ in their biogenesis, their modes of target regulation and in the biological pathways they regulate. There is a growing realization that, despite their differences, these distinct small RNA pathways are interconnected, and that small RNA pathways compete and collaborate as they regulate genes and protect the genome from external and internal threats.
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            Selective recognition of methylated lysine 9 on histone H3 by the HP1 chromo domain.

            A Bannister, P Zegerman, J F Partridge … (2001)
            Heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) is localized at heterochromatin sites where it mediates gene silencing. The chromo domain of HP1 is necessary for both targeting and transcriptional repression. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the correct localization of Swi6 (the HP1 equivalent) depends on Clr4, a homologue of the mammalian SUV39H1 histone methylase. Both Clr4 and SUV39H1 methylate specifically lysine 9 of histone H3 (ref. 6). Here we show that HP1 can bind with high affinity to histone H3 methylated at lysine 9 but not at lysine 4. The chromo domain of HP1 is identified as its methyl-lysine-binding domain. A point mutation in the chromo domain, which destroys the gene silencing activity of HP1 in Drosophila, abolishes methyl-lysine-binding activity. Genetic and biochemical analysis in S. pombe shows that the methylase activity of Clr4 is necessary for the correct localization of Swi6 at centromeric heterochromatin and for gene silencing. These results provide a stepwise model for the formation of a transcriptionally silent heterochromatin: SUV39H1 places a 'methyl marker' on histone H3, which is then recognized by HP1 through its chromo domain. This model may also explain the stable inheritance of the heterochromatic state.
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              A germline-specific class of small RNAs binds mammalian Piwi proteins.

              Angélique Girard, Ravi Sachidanandam, Gregory Hannon … (2006)
              Small RNAs associate with Argonaute proteins and serve as sequence-specific guides to regulate messenger RNA stability, protein synthesis, chromatin organization and genome structure. In animals, Argonaute proteins segregate into two subfamilies. The Argonaute subfamily acts in RNA interference and in microRNA-mediated gene regulation using 21-22-nucleotide RNAs as guides. The Piwi subfamily is involved in germline-specific events such as germline stem cell maintenance and meiosis. However, neither the biochemical function of Piwi proteins nor the nature of their small RNA guides is known. Here we show that MIWI, a murine Piwi protein, binds a previously uncharacterized class of approximately 29-30-nucleotide RNAs that are highly abundant in testes. We have therefore named these Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs). piRNAs show distinctive localization patterns in the genome, being predominantly grouped into 20-90-kilobase clusters, wherein long stretches of small RNAs are derived from only one strand. Similar piRNAs are also found in human and rat, with major clusters occurring in syntenic locations. Although their function must still be resolved, the abundance of piRNAs in germline cells and the male sterility of Miwi mutants suggest a role in gametogenesis.
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                Author and article information

                Journal
                Journal ID (nlm-ta): J Cell Biol
                Journal ID (iso-abbrev): J. Cell Biol
                Journal ID (hwp): jcb
                Title: The Journal of Cell Biology
                Publisher: The Rockefeller University Press
                ISSN (Print): 0021-9525
                ISSN (Electronic): 1540-8140
                Publication date (Print): 29 November 2010
                Volume: 191
                Issue: 5
                Pages: 905-913
                Affiliations
                Program in Cell and Developmental Dynamics, and Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605
                Author notes
                Correspondence to William Theurkauf: william.theurkauf@ 123456umassmed.edu
                Article
                Publisher ID: 201006034
                DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201006034
                PMC ID: 2995163
                PubMed ID: 21115802
                SO-VID: d6fe9344-7e56-4ddb-9d99-ade292568534
                Copyright © © 2010 Khurana and Theurkauf
                License:

                This article is distributed under the terms of an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike–No Mirror Sites license for the first six months after the publication date (see http://www.rupress.org/terms). After six months it is available under a Creative Commons License (Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported license, as described at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/).

                History
                Date received : 4 June 2010
                Date accepted : 8 November 2010
                Categories
                Subject: Reviews
                Subject: Review

                ScienceOpen disciplines: Cell biology
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                ScienceOpen disciplines: Cell biology

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