Widespread Expression of piRNA-like Molecules in Somatic Tissues

ABSTRACT: Piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA) are small RNA abundant in the germline across animal species. In fruit flies and mice, piRNA were implicated in maintenance of genomic integrity by transposable elements silencing. Outside of the germline, piRNA have only been found in Drosophila ovarian follicle cells. Previous studies further reported the presence of multiple piRNA-like small RNA (pilRNA) in fly heads and a small number of pilRNA in mouse tissues and human NK cells. Here, by analyzing high-throughput small RNA sequencing data in more than 130 fruit fly, mouse and rhesus macaque samples, we show widespread presence of pilRNA displaying all known characteristics of piRNA in multiple somatic tissues of these three species. In mouse pancreas and macaque epididymis, pilRNA abundance was compatible

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

SUBMITTER: Haiyang Hu 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-27369 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress