The Drosophila ZAD zinc finger protein Kipferl guides Rhino to piRNA clusters.

ABSTRACT: RNA interference systems depend on the synthesis of small RNA precursors whose sequences define the target spectrum of these silencing pathways. The Drosophila Heterochromatin Protein 1 (HP1) variant Rhino permits transcription of PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) precursors within transposon-rich heterochromatic loci in germline cells. Current models propose that Rhino's specific chromatin occupancy at piRNA source loci is determined by histone marks and maternally inherited piRNAs, but also imply the existence of other, undiscovered specificity cues. Here, we identify a member of the diverse family of zinc finger associated domain (ZAD)-C₂H₂ zinc finger proteins, Kipferl, as critical Rhino cofactor in ovaries. By binding to guanosine-rich DNA motifs and interactin

SUBMITTER: Baumgartner L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9531945 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature