A Single Mechanism of Biogenesis, Initiated and Directed by PIWI Proteins, Explains piRNA Production in Most Animals.

ABSTRACT: In animals, PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) guide PIWI proteins to silence transposons and regulate gene expression. The mechanisms for making piRNAs have been proposed to differ among cell types, tissues, and animals. Our data instead suggest a single model that explains piRNA production in most animals. piRNAs initiate piRNA production by guiding PIWI proteins to slice precursor transcripts. Next, PIWI proteins direct the stepwise fragmentation of the sliced precursor transcripts, yielding tail-to-head strings of phased precursor piRNAs (pre-piRNAs). Our analyses detect evidence for this piRNA biogenesis strategy across an evolutionarily broad range of animals, including humans. Thus, PIWI proteins initiate and sustain piRNA biogenesis by the same mechanism in species whose last common an

SUBMITTER: Gainetdinov I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6130920 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature