RRC ID 80909
Author Brown JS, Zhang D, Gaylord O, Chen W, Lee HC.
Title Sensitized piRNA reporter identifies multiple RNA processing factors involved in piRNA-mediated gene silencing.
Journal Genetics
Abstract Metazoans guard their germlines against transposons and other foreign transcripts with PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs). Due to the robust heritability of the silencing initiated by piRNAs in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), previous screens using C. elegans were strongly biased to uncover members of this pathway in the maintenance process but not in the initiation process. To identify novel piRNA pathway members, we have utilized a sensitized reporter strain which detects defects in initiation, amplification, or regulation of piRNA silencing. Using our reporter, we have identified Integrator complex subunits, nuclear pore components, protein import components, and pre-mRNA splicing factors as essential for piRNA-mediated gene silencing. We found the small nuclear processing cellular machine termed the Integrator complex is required for both type I and type II piRNA production. Notably, we identified a role for nuclear pore and nucleolar components NPP-1/Nup54, NPP-6/Nup160, NPP-7/Nup153, and FIB-1 in promoting the perinuclear localization of anti-silencing CSR-1 Argonaute, as well as a role for Importin factor IMA-3 in nuclear localization of silencing Argonaute HRDE-1. Together, we have shown that piRNA silencing in C. elegans is dependent on evolutionarily ancient RNA processing machinery that has been co-opted to function in the piRNA-mediated genome surveillance pathway.
Volume 224(4)
Published 2023-8-9
DOI 10.1093/genetics/iyad095
PII 7175032
PMID 37210214
PMC PMC10691750
MeSH Animals Argonaute Proteins / genetics Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics Caenorhabditis elegans / metabolism Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins* / genetics Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins* / metabolism Drosophila Proteins* / genetics Gene Silencing Piwi-Interacting RNA RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional RNA, Small Interfering / genetics RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism
Resource
C.elegans tm1200 tm1186