The Rhino-Deadlock-Cutoff complex licenses non-canonical transcription of dual-strand piRNA clusters in Drosophila

ABSTRACT: Argonaute proteins of the PIWI clade are central to transposon silencing in animal gonads. Their target specificity is defined by 22-30nt PIWI interacting RNAs (piRNAs), which mostly originate from discrete genomic loci termed piRNA clusters. Here we show that the RDC complex composed of Rhino, Deadlock and Cutoff defines dual-strand piRNA clusters genome-wide in Drosophila ovaries. The RDC complex is anchored to H3K9me3-marked chromatin in part via RhinoM-bM-^@M-^Ys chromo-domain. Depletion of Piwi results in loss of the RDC and small RNAs at euchromatic piRNA source loci, demonstrating a feedback loop between Piwi and genomic piRNA sources. Intriguingly, profiles of RNA Polymerase II occupancy, nascent transcription and steady-state RNA levels reveal that the RDC licenses non-canonical t

ORGANISM(S): Drosophila melanogaster

SUBMITTER: Fabio Mohn 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-55824 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress