Piwi modulates chromatin accessibility by regulating multiple factors including histone H1 to repress transposons

ABSTRACT: PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) mediate transposable element (TE) silencing at the transcriptional or post-transcriptional level in animal gonads. In the Drosophila ovary, Piwiâ??piRNA complexes (Piwiâ??piRISCs) repress TE transcription by modifying the chromatin state, such as H3K9me3 marks. Here, we demonstrate that Piwi physically interacts with linker histone H1. Depletion of Piwi decreases H1 density on target loci, leading to TE derepression. Loss of H1 results in gain of chromatin accessibility at target loci without affecting H3K9me3 and heterochromatin protein 1a (HP1a) density at the same loci. Piwi-mediated TE silencing also requires HP1a by regulating chromatin accessibility through its association with target loci. Thus, Piwiâ??piRISCs require both H1 and HP1a to repress TEs, a

ORGANISM(S): Drosophila melanogaster

SUBMITTER: Haruhiko Siomi 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-81434 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress