Abundant A-to-I RNA editing in spermatocytes may suppress transposons to compensate for piRNA downregulation in male germlines.

ABSTRACT: The germline genome serves as a crucial battleground for transposon expansion, as transposons can increase their copy numbers in offspring when activated within germ cells. Unexpectedly, during Drosophila spermatogenesis, the piRNA pathway, typically responsible for transposon silencing in female germ cells, is significantly downregulated, coinciding with a burst of transposon expression in spermatocytes. This suggests that germ cells might rely on alternative mechanisms for transposon suppression. By leveraging single-cell Smart-seq transcriptomic data, we found that transposon expression, Adar expression, and A-to-I RNA editing efficiency are markedly elevated in Drosophila spermatocytes. Adar mutant flies exhibit higher testicular TE expression, likely result

SUBMITTER: Duan Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12599553 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature