Exogenous RNAi mechanisms contribute to transcriptome adaptation by phased siRNA clusters in Paramecium.

ABSTRACT: Extensive research has characterized distinct exogenous RNAi pathways interfering in gene expression during vegetative growth of the unicellular model ciliate Paramecium. However, role of RNAi in endogenous transcriptome regulation, and environmental adaptation is unknown. Here, we describe the first genome-wide profiling of endogenous sRNAs in context of different transcriptomic states (serotypes). We developed a pipeline to identify, and characterize 2602 siRNA producing clusters (SRCs). Our data show no evidence that SRCs produce miRNAs, and in contrast to other species, no preference for strand specificity of siRNAs. Interestingly, most SRCs overlap coding genes and a separate group show siRNA phasing along the entire open reading frame, suggesting that the mRNA transcript serves as a

SUBMITTER: Karunanithi S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6735861 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature