A Small-RNA-Mediated Feedback Loop Maintains Proper Levels of 22G-RNAs in C. elegans.

ABSTRACT: RNA interference (RNAi) is an essential regulatory mechanism in all animals. In Caenorhabditis elegans, several classes of small RNAs act to silence or license expression of mRNA targets. ERI-6/7 is required for the production of some endogenous small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and acts as a negative regulator of the exogenous RNAi pathway. We find that the genomic locus encoding eri-6/7 contains two distinct regions that are targeted by endogenous siRNAs. Loss of these siRNAs disrupts eri-6/7 mRNA expression, resulting in increased production of siRNAs from other small RNA pathways because these pathways compete with eri-6/7-dependent transcripts for access to the downstream siRNA amplification machinery. Thus, the pathway acts like a small-RNA-mediated feedback loop to ensure homeostasis

SUBMITTER: Rogers AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7603289 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature