Project description:nbr/CG9247 gene regulates the length of a subset of miRNAs. It is not clear whether Nbr affects the length of other classes of small RNAs, such as piRNAs and endo-siRNAs. To address this, we compared small RNA population in wild-type, Df(2L)BSC312/+, nbr null (nbrf02257/Df(2L)BSC312), (nbr null; pCaSper-nbr (WT)), and (nbr null; pCaSper-nbr (D435A,E437A)). This approach revealed that, in addition to miRNAs, piRNAs and endo-siRNAs were also affected in their length in nbr null and nbr null; pCaSper-nbr (D435A,E437A).
Project description:nbr/CG9247 gene regulates the length of a subset of miRNAs. It is not clear whether Nbr affects the length of other classes of small RNAs, such as piRNAs and endo-siRNAs. To address this, we compared small RNA population in wild-type, Df(2L)BSC312/+, nbr null (nbrf02257/Df(2L)BSC312), (nbr null; pCaSper-nbr (WT)), and (nbr null; pCaSper-nbr (D435A,E437A)). This approach revealed that, in addition to miRNAs, piRNAs and endo-siRNAs were also affected in their length in nbr null and nbr null; pCaSper-nbr (D435A,E437A). 4-7d ovaries were dissected in PBS, and 40ug total RNA was prepared from wild-type, Df(2L)BSC312/+, nbr null (nbrf02257/Df(2L)BSC312), (nbr null; pCaSper-nbr (WT)), and (nbr null; pCaSper-nbr (D435A,E437A)), using Trizol Reagent (#15596-018, Life Technologies, Carlsbad, CA) following the manufacturer's protocol. The small RNAs between ~16 to ~29 nt in size were purified from 15% TBE-urea gel (#EC6885BOX, Life Technologies, Carlsbad, CA). Small RNA libraries were prepared using Illumina's TruSeq small RNA sample preparation kit (#RS-200-0012, Illumina, Inc. San Diego, CA), following the manufacturer's protocol The libraries were sequenced on HiSeq2000 platform (Illumina).
Project description:Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) direct RNA interference (RNAi) in eukaryotes. In flies, somatic cells produce siRNAs from exogenous double-stranded RNA as a defense against viral infection. Here, we identify 21-nt long, endogenous siRNAs (endo-siRNAs) corresponding to transposons and heterochromatic sequences in the somatic cells of Drosophila melanogaster. We also detected endo-siRNAs complementary to mRNAs: these siRNAs disproportionately mapped to the complementary regions of overlapping mRNAs predicted to form dsRNA in vivo. Normal accumulation of somatic endo-siRNAs requires the siRNA-generating ribonuclease, Dicer-2, and the RNAi effector protein, Ago2. We propose that endo-siRNAs generated by the fly RNAi pathway silence selfish genetic elements in the soma much as piRNAs do in the germ line. Keywords: Small RNA detection and quantification.
Project description:Colonization of genomes by a new selfish genetic element is detrimental to the host species and must lead to an efficient, repressive response. In vertebrates as well as in Drosophila, piRNAs repress transposons in the germ line while endogenous siRNAs take on this role in somatic cells. For endo-siRNAs as well as for piRNAs, it is unclear how an efficient response can be initiated de novo. Our experiments establish that the endo-siRNA pathway will target artificially introduced sequences without the need for a pre-existing template in the genome. This response is also triggered in transiently transfected cells, thus genomic integration is not essential. Deep sequencing revealed that corresponding endo-siRNAs are generated throughout the sequence, but preferentially from transcribed regions.
Project description:In Drosophila, siRNAs are classified as endo- or exo-siRNAs based on their origin. Both are processed from double-stranded RNA precursors by Dcr-2, then loaded into the Argonaute protein Ago2. While exo-siRNAs serve to defend the cell against viruses, endo-siRNAs restrict the spread of selfish DNA in somatic cells, analogous to piRNAs in the germ line. Endo- and exo-siRNAs display a differential requirement for double-stranded RNA binding domain proteins (dsRBPs): R2D2 is needed to load exo-siRNAs into Ago2 while the PD isoform of Loquacious (Loqs-PD) stimulates Dcr-2 during the nucleolytic processing of hairpin-derived endo-siRNAs. In cell culture assays, R2D2 antagonizes Loqs-PD in endo-siRNA silencing and Loqs-PD is an inhibitor of RNA interference. Loqs-PD can interact via the C-terminus unique to this isoform with the DExH/D-helicase domain of Drosophila Dcr-2, where binding of R2D2 has also been localized. Separation of the two pathways is not complete; rather, the dicing and Ago2-loading steps appear uncoupled, analogous to the corresponding steps in miRNA biogenesis. Analysis of deep sequencing data further demonstrates that in r2d2 mutant flies, siRNAs can be loaded into Ago2 but not all siRNA classes are equally proficient for this. Thus, the canonical Ago2-RISC loading complex can be bypassed under certain circumstances.
Project description:Colonization of genomes by a new selfish genetic element is detrimental to the host species and must lead to an efficient, repressive response. In vertebrates as well as in Drosophila, piRNAs repress transposons in the germ line while endogenous siRNAs take on this role in somatic cells. For endo-siRNAs as well as for piRNAs, it is unclear how an efficient response can be initiated de novo. Our experiments establish that the endo-siRNA pathway will target artificially introduced sequences without the need for a pre-existing template in the genome. This response is also triggered in transiently transfected cells, thus genomic integration is not essential. Deep sequencing revealed that corresponding endo-siRNAs are generated throughout the sequence, but preferentially from transcribed regions. Examination of 3 different cell lines.
Project description:In Drosophila, siRNAs are classified as endo- or exo-siRNAs based on their origin. Both are processed from double-stranded RNA precursors by Dcr-2, then loaded into the Argonaute protein Ago2. While exo-siRNAs serve to defend the cell against viruses, endo-siRNAs restrict the spread of selfish DNA in somatic cells, analogous to piRNAs in the germ line. Endo- and exo-siRNAs display a differential requirement for double-stranded RNA binding domain proteins (dsRBPs): R2D2 is needed to load exo-siRNAs into Ago2 while the PD isoform of Loquacious (Loqs-PD) stimulates Dcr-2 during the nucleolytic processing of hairpin-derived endo-siRNAs. In cell culture assays, R2D2 antagonizes Loqs-PD in endo-siRNA silencing and Loqs-PD is an inhibitor of RNA interference. Loqs-PD can interact via the C-terminus unique to this isoform with the DExH/D-helicase domain of Drosophila Dcr-2, where binding of R2D2 has also been localized. Separation of the two pathways is not complete; rather, the dicing and Ago2-loading steps appear uncoupled, analogous to the corresponding steps in miRNA biogenesis. Analysis of deep sequencing data further demonstrates that in r2d2 mutant flies, siRNAs can be loaded into Ago2 but not all siRNA classes are equally proficient for this. Thus, the canonical Ago2-RISC loading complex can be bypassed under certain circumstances. Examination of small RNAs from two different mutant strains as well as the corresponding heterozygous controls