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Frost B, Dubnau J. The Role of Retrotransposons and Endogenous Retroviruses in Age-Dependent Neurodegenerative Disorders. Annu Rev Neurosci 2024; 47:123-143. [PMID: 38663088 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-082823-020615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/09/2024]
Abstract
Over 40% of the human genome is composed of retrotransposons, DNA species that hold the potential to replicate via an RNA intermediate and are evolutionarily related to retroviruses. Retrotransposons are most studied for their ability to jump within a genome, which can cause DNA damage and novel insertional mutations. Retrotransposon-encoded products, including viral-like proteins, double-stranded RNAs, and extrachromosomal circular DNAs, can also be potent activators of the innate immune system. A growing body of evidence suggests that retrotransposons are activated in age-related neurodegenerative disorders and that such activation causally contributes to neurotoxicity. Here we provide an overview of retrotransposon biology and outline evidence of retrotransposon activation in age-related neurodegenerative disorders, with an emphasis on those involving TAR-DNA binding protein-43 (TDP-43) and tau. Studies to date provide the basis for ongoing clinical trials and hold promise for innovative strategies to ameliorate the adverse effects of retrotransposon dysregulation in neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bess Frost
- Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, and Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA;
| | - Josh Dubnau
- Department of Anesthesiology and Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York, USA;
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2
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Lau NC, Macias VM. Transposon and Transgene Tribulations in Mosquitoes: A Perspective of piRNA Proportions. DNA 2024; 4:104-128. [PMID: 39076684 PMCID: PMC11286205 DOI: 10.3390/dna4020006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
Mosquitoes, like Drosophila, are dipterans, the order of "true flies" characterized by a single set of two wings. Drosophila are prime model organisms for biomedical research, while mosquito researchers struggle to establish robust molecular biology in these that are arguably the most dangerous vectors of human pathogens. Both insects utilize the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway to generate small RNAs to silence transposons and viruses, yet details are emerging that several RNAi features are unique to each insect family, such as how culicine mosquitoes have evolved extreme genomic feature differences connected to their unique RNAi features. A major technical difference in the molecular genetic studies of these insects is that generating stable transgenic animals are routine in Drosophila but still variable in stability in mosquitoes, despite genomic DNA-editing advances. By comparing and contrasting the differences in the RNAi pathways of Drosophila and mosquitoes, in this review we propose a hypothesis that transgene DNAs are possibly more intensely targeted by mosquito RNAi pathways and chromatin regulatory pathways than in Drosophila. We review the latest findings on mosquito RNAi pathways, which are still much less well understood than in Drosophila, and we speculate that deeper study into how mosquitoes modulate transposons and viruses with Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) will yield clues to improving transgene DNA expression stability in transgenic mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelson C. Lau
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- Genome Science Institute and National Emerging Infectious Disease Laboratory, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Vanessa M. Macias
- Department of Biology, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76205, USA
- Advanced Environmental Research Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76205, USA
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3
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Xu K, Li J, Li WX. Simulation of STAT and HP1 interaction by molecular docking. Cell Signal 2023; 112:110925. [PMID: 37839545 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2023.110925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Heterochromatin Protein 1 (HP1) is a major component of heterochromatin. Multiple proteins have been shown to interact with HP1 with the HP1-binding motif PxVxL/I, thereby affecting heterochromatin stability. The HP1-interacting proteins include the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) protein, which can be regulated by phosphorylation on a tyrosine around amino acid 700 in the carboxyl terminus. Previous research has shown that unphosphorylated STAT (uSTAT) binds to HP1 via a PxVxI HP1-binding motif and maintains the stability of heterochromatin, while phosphorylated STAT (pSTAT) dissociates from HP1, resulting in heterochromatin disruption. To understand the theoretical basis of the biochemical observations, we employed computational modeling to investigate STAT-HP1 binding configurations and the effect of STAT phosphorylation on their interaction. Using STAT3 and HP1α protein structures for molecular docking and thermodynamic calculations, our computations predict that uSTAT homodimers have a higher affinity for HP1 and a lower affinity for DNA than pSTAT homodimers, and that phosphorylation induces a conformational change in STAT, shifting its binding preference from HP1 to DNA. The results of our modeling studies support the idea that phosphorylation drives STAT from HP1-binding to DNA-binding, suggesting a potential role for uSTAT in both maintaining and initiating heterochromatin formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangxin Xu
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, USA
| | - Jinghong Li
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, USA
| | - Willis X Li
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, USA.
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4
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Tanaka M, Inaba Y, Yariyama A, Nakatani Y, Kunimoto K, Kaminaka C, Yamamoto Y, Makino K, Fukushima S, Jinnin M. Expression of collagen-related piRNA is dysregulated in cultured dermal fibroblasts derived from patients with scleroderma. Intractable Rare Dis Res 2023; 12:241-245. [PMID: 38024581 PMCID: PMC10680164 DOI: 10.5582/irdr.2023.01056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) is a class of recently discovered small non-coding RNAs. piRNAs derive from an initial transcript encompassing a piRNA cluster via a unique biosynthesis process, interact with PIWI proteins, bind to specific targets, and recruit chromatin modifiers to enable transcriptional repression. Abnormal expression of PIWI proteins and piRNAs has been reported in some human cancers, with participation of some PIWI/piRNAs complexes in tumorigenesis and association with cancer prognosis. Their expression in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) has not been widely elucidated. PIWI/piRNAs and their role in the pathogenesis of collagen accumulation in SSc was therefore investigated; no difference was found in the PIWIL1-4 levels between normal and cultured SSc dermal fibroblasts. Among piRNAs predicted to target SSc-related molecules, we first found significant piR-32364 up-regulation in SSc dermal fibroblasts, likely due to intrinsic TGF-β signaling. Forced piR-32364 overexpression in normal fibroblasts significantly reduced COL1A1 expression both at mRNA and protein levels, but not COL1A2. Thus, piR-32364 overexpression in SSc fibroblasts may be the negative feedback against collagen up-regulation, which could suggest the potential of piRNAs as a therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minako Tanaka
- Department of Dermatology, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Yutaka Inaba
- Department of Dermatology, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Azusa Yariyama
- Department of Dermatology, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Yumi Nakatani
- Department of Dermatology, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Kayo Kunimoto
- Department of Dermatology, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Chikako Kaminaka
- Department of Dermatology, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Yuki Yamamoto
- Department of Dermatology, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Katsunari Makino
- Department of Dermatology and Plastic Surgery, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Satoshi Fukushima
- Department of Dermatology and Plastic Surgery, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Jinnin
- Department of Dermatology, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
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5
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Liu D, Asad M, Liao J, Chen J, Li J, Chu X, Pang S, Tariq M, Abbas AN, Yang G. The Potential Role of the Piwi Gene in the Development and Reproduction of Plutella xylostella. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12321. [PMID: 37569697 PMCID: PMC10418840 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Piwi proteins play a significant role in germ cell development and the silencing of transposons in animals by associating with small non-coding RNAs known as Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs). While the Piwi gene has been well characterized in various insect species, the role of the Piwi (PxPiwi) gene in the diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella), a globally distributed pest of cruciferous crops, remains unclear. Expression analysis demonstrated the upregulation of PxPiwi in pupae and testes. Furthermore, we generated a PxPiwi-knockout mutant using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, which resulted in a significantly prolonged pupal stage and the failure of pupae to develop into adults. Additionally, the knockdown of PxPiwi, through RNA interference (RNAi), led to a substantial decrease in the oviposition and hatchability of P. xylostella. These findings indicate that PxPiwi is specifically expressed and essential for the development and reproduction of P. xylostella. This is the first report indicating the involvement of the Piwi gene in the development of lepidopteran insects, except for reproduction and germ cell development, which provides a foundation for future investigations into the functions of PxPiwi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (D.L.); (M.A.); (J.L.); (J.C.); (J.L.); (X.C.); (S.P.); (M.T.); (A.N.A.)
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Pest Control, Fujian Province University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Muhammad Asad
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (D.L.); (M.A.); (J.L.); (J.C.); (J.L.); (X.C.); (S.P.); (M.T.); (A.N.A.)
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Pest Control, Fujian Province University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Jianying Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (D.L.); (M.A.); (J.L.); (J.C.); (J.L.); (X.C.); (S.P.); (M.T.); (A.N.A.)
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Pest Control, Fujian Province University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Jing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (D.L.); (M.A.); (J.L.); (J.C.); (J.L.); (X.C.); (S.P.); (M.T.); (A.N.A.)
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Pest Control, Fujian Province University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Jianwen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (D.L.); (M.A.); (J.L.); (J.C.); (J.L.); (X.C.); (S.P.); (M.T.); (A.N.A.)
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Pest Control, Fujian Province University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Xuemei Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (D.L.); (M.A.); (J.L.); (J.C.); (J.L.); (X.C.); (S.P.); (M.T.); (A.N.A.)
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Pest Control, Fujian Province University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Senbo Pang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (D.L.); (M.A.); (J.L.); (J.C.); (J.L.); (X.C.); (S.P.); (M.T.); (A.N.A.)
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Pest Control, Fujian Province University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Mubashir Tariq
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (D.L.); (M.A.); (J.L.); (J.C.); (J.L.); (X.C.); (S.P.); (M.T.); (A.N.A.)
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Pest Control, Fujian Province University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Anam Noreen Abbas
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (D.L.); (M.A.); (J.L.); (J.C.); (J.L.); (X.C.); (S.P.); (M.T.); (A.N.A.)
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Pest Control, Fujian Province University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Guang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (D.L.); (M.A.); (J.L.); (J.C.); (J.L.); (X.C.); (S.P.); (M.T.); (A.N.A.)
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Pest Control, Fujian Province University, Fuzhou 350002, China
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Tang X, Liu N, Qi H, Lin H. Piwi maintains homeostasis in the Drosophila adult intestine. Stem Cell Reports 2023; 18:503-518. [PMID: 36736325 PMCID: PMC9969073 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2023.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
PIWI genes are well known for their germline but not somatic functions. Here, we report the function of the Drosophila piwi gene in the adult gut, where intestinal stem cells (ISCs) produce enteroendocrine cells and enteroblasts that generate enterocytes. We show that piwi is expressed in ISCs and enteroblasts. Piwi deficiency reduced ISC number, compromised enteroblasts maintenance, and induced apoptosis in enterocytes, but did not affect ISC proliferation and its differentiation to enteroendocrine cells. In addition, deficiency of zygotic but not maternal piwi mildly de-silenced several retrotransposons in the adult gut. Importantly, either piwi mutations or piwi knockdown specifically in ISCs and enteroblasts shortened the Drosophila lifespan, indicating that intestinal piwi contributes to longevity. Finally, our mRNA sequencing data implied that Piwi may achieve its intestinal function by regulating diverse molecular processes involved in metabolism and oxidation-reduction reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiongzhuo Tang
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA.
| | - Na Liu
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Hongying Qi
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Haifan Lin
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA.
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Santos D, Feng M, Kolliopoulou A, Taning CNT, Sun J, Swevers L. What Are the Functional Roles of Piwi Proteins and piRNAs in Insects? INSECTS 2023; 14:insects14020187. [PMID: 36835756 PMCID: PMC9962485 DOI: 10.3390/insects14020187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Research on Piwi proteins and piRNAs in insects has focused on three experimental models: oogenesis and spermatogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster, the antiviral response in Aedes mosquitoes and the molecular analysis of primary and secondary piRNA biogenesis in Bombyx mori-derived BmN4 cells. Significant unique and complementary information has been acquired and has led to a greater appreciation of the complexity of piRNA biogenesis and Piwi protein function. Studies performed in other insect species are emerging and promise to add to the current state of the art on the roles of piRNAs and Piwi proteins. Although the primary role of the piRNA pathway is genome defense against transposons, particularly in the germline, recent findings also indicate an expansion of its functions. In this review, an extensive overview is presented of the knowledge of the piRNA pathway that so far has accumulated in insects. Following a presentation of the three major models, data from other insects were also discussed. Finally, the mechanisms for the expansion of the function of the piRNA pathway from transposon control to gene regulation were considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dulce Santos
- Research Group of Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, Division of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Min Feng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Anna Kolliopoulou
- Insect Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Biosciences & Applications, National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, Aghia Paraskevi, 15341 Athens, Greece
| | - Clauvis N. T. Taning
- Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jingchen Sun
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Luc Swevers
- Insect Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Biosciences & Applications, National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, Aghia Paraskevi, 15341 Athens, Greece
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Gleason RJ, Chen X. Epigenetic dynamics during germline development: insights from Drosophila and C. elegans. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2023; 78:102017. [PMID: 36549194 PMCID: PMC10100592 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2022.102017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Gametogenesis produces the only cell type within a metazoan that contributes both genetic and epigenetic information to the offspring. Extensive epigenetic dynamics are required to express or repress gene expression in a precise spatiotemporal manner. On the other hand, early embryos must be extensively reprogrammed as they begin a new life cycle, involving intergenerational epigenetic inheritance. Seminal work in both Drosophila and C. elegans has elucidated the role of various regulators of epigenetic inheritance, including (1) histones, (2) histone-modifying enzymes, and (3) small RNA-dependent epigenetic regulation in the maintenance of germline identity. This review highlights recent discoveries of epigenetic regulation during the stepwise changes of transcription and chromatin structure that takes place during germline stem cell self-renewal, maintenance of germline identity, and intergenerational epigenetic inheritance. Findings from these two species provide precedence and opportunity to extend relevant studies to vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J. Gleason
- Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Xin Chen
- HHMI, Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
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9
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Ochoa E, Ramirez P, Gonzalez E, De Mange J, Ray WJ, Bieniek KF, Frost B. Pathogenic tau-induced transposable element-derived dsRNA drives neuroinflammation. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eabq5423. [PMID: 36608133 PMCID: PMC9821943 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq5423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Deposition of tau protein aggregates in the brain of affected individuals is a defining feature of "tauopathies," including Alzheimer's disease. Studies of human brain tissue and various model systems of tauopathy report that toxic forms of tau negatively affect nuclear and genomic architecture, identifying pathogenic tau-induced heterochromatin decondensation and consequent retrotransposon activation as a causal mediator of neurodegeneration. On the basis of their similarity to retroviruses, retrotransposons drive neuroinflammation via toxic intermediates, including double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). We find that dsRNA and dsRNA sensing machinery are elevated in astrocytes of postmortem brain tissue from patients with Alzheimer's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy and in brains of tau transgenic mice. Using a Drosophila model of tauopathy, we identify specific tau-induced retrotransposons that form dsRNA and find that pathogenic tau and heterochromatin decondensation causally drive dsRNA-mediated neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation. Our study suggests that pathogenic tau-induced heterochromatin decondensation and retrotransposon activation cause elevation of inflammatory, transposable element-derived dsRNA in the adult brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Ochoa
- Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Paulino Ramirez
- Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Elias Gonzalez
- Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Jasmine De Mange
- Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - William J. Ray
- The Neurodegeneration Consortium, Therapeutics Discovery Division, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kevin F. Bieniek
- Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Bess Frost
- Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
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Zhang T, Chen L, Li R, Liu N, Huang X, Wong G. PIWI-interacting RNAs in human diseases: databases and computational models. Brief Bioinform 2022; 23:6603448. [PMID: 35667080 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbac217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are short 21-35 nucleotide molecules that comprise the largest class of non-coding RNAs and found in a large diversity of species including yeast, worms, flies, plants and mammals including humans. The most well-understood function of piRNAs is to monitor and protect the genome from transposons particularly in germline cells. Recent data suggest that piRNAs may have additional functions in somatic cells although they are expressed there in far lower abundance. Compared with microRNAs (miRNAs), piRNAs have more limited bioinformatics resources available. This review collates 39 piRNA specific and non-specific databases and bioinformatics resources, describes and compares their utility and attributes and provides an overview of their place in the field. In addition, we review 33 computational models based upon function: piRNA prediction, transposon element and mRNA-related piRNA prediction, cluster prediction, signature detection, target prediction and disease association. Based on the collection of databases and computational models, we identify trends and potential gaps in tool development. We further analyze the breadth and depth of piRNA data available in public sources, their contribution to specific human diseases, particularly in cancer and neurodegenerative conditions, and highlight a few specific piRNAs that appear to be associated with these diseases. This briefing presents the most recent and comprehensive mapping of piRNA bioinformatics resources including databases, models and tools for disease associations to date. Such a mapping should facilitate and stimulate further research on piRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianjiao Zhang
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau S.A.R. 999078, China
| | - Liang Chen
- Department of Computer Science, School of Engineering, Shantou University, Shantou, China
| | - Rongzhen Li
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau S.A.R. 999078, China
| | - Ning Liu
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau S.A.R. 999078, China
| | - Xiaobing Huang
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau S.A.R. 999078, China
| | - Garry Wong
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau S.A.R. 999078, China
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11
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Schoelz JM, Riddle NC. Functions of HP1 proteins in transcriptional regulation. Epigenetics Chromatin 2022; 15:14. [PMID: 35526078 PMCID: PMC9078007 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-022-00453-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
In eukaryotes, DNA is packaged into chromatin, which presents significant barriers to transcription. Non-histone chromatin proteins such as the Heterochromatin Protein 1 (HP1) proteins are critical regulators of transcription, contributing to gene regulation through a variety of molecular mechanisms. HP1 proteins are highly conserved, and many eukaryotic genomes contain multiple HP1 genes. Given the presence of multiple HP1 family members within a genome, HP1 proteins can have unique as well as shared functions. Here, we review the mechanisms by which HP1 proteins contribute to the regulation of transcription. Focusing on the Drosophila melanogaster HP1 proteins, we examine the role of these proteins in regulating the transcription of genes, transposable elements, and piRNA clusters. In D. melanogaster, as in other species, HP1 proteins can act as transcriptional repressors and activators. The available data reveal that the precise impact of HP1 proteins on gene expression is highly context dependent, on the specific HP1 protein involved, on its protein partners present, and on the specific chromatin context the interaction occurs in. As a group, HP1 proteins utilize a variety of mechanisms to contribute to transcriptional regulation, including both transcriptional (i.e. chromatin-based) and post-transcriptional (i.e. RNA-based) processes. Despite extensive studies of this important protein family, open questions regarding their functions in gene regulation remain, specifically regarding the role of hetero- versus homodimerization and post-translational modifications of HP1 proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- John M Schoelz
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Nicole C Riddle
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
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12
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Zhang J, Zhang W, Liu Y, Pi M, Jiang Y, Ainiwaer A, Mao S, Chen H, Ran Y, Sun S, Li W, Yao X, Chang Z, Yan Y. Emerging roles and potential application of PIWI-interacting RNA in urological tumors. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1054216. [PMID: 36733811 PMCID: PMC9887041 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1054216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The piRNA (PIWI-interacting RNA) is P-Element induced wimpy testis (PIWI)-interacting RNA which is a small molecule, non-coding RNA with a length of 24-32nt. It was originally found in germ cells and is considered a regulator of germ cell function. It can interact with PIWI protein, a member of the Argonaute family, and play a role in the regulation of gene transcription and epigenetic silencing of transposable factors in the nucleus. More and more studies have shown that piRNAs are abnormally expressed in a variety of cancer tissues and patient fluids, and may become diagnostic tools, therapeutic targets, staging markers, and prognostic evaluation tools for cancer. This article reviews the recent research on piRNA and summarizes the structural characteristics, production mechanism, applications, and its role in urological tumors, to provide a reference value for piRNA to regulate urological tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingcheng Zhang
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Urologic Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wentao Zhang
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Urologic Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuchao Liu
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Urologic Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Man Pi
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yufeng Jiang
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Urologic Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ailiyaer Ainiwaer
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Urologic Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shiyu Mao
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Urologic Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haotian Chen
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Urologic Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuefei Ran
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Urologic Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuwen Sun
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
- Center of Clinical Oncology, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Urologic Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xudong Yao
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Urologic Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Yang Yan, ; Zhengyan Chang, ; Xudong Yao,
| | - Zhengyan Chang
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Yang Yan, ; Zhengyan Chang, ; Xudong Yao,
| | - Yang Yan
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Urologic Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Yang Yan, ; Zhengyan Chang, ; Xudong Yao,
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13
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Mokarram P, Niknam M, Sadeghdoust M, Aligolighasemabadi F, Siri M, Dastghaib S, Brim H, Ashktorab H. PIWI interacting RNAs perspectives: a new avenues in future cancer investigations. Bioengineered 2021; 12:10401-10419. [PMID: 34723746 PMCID: PMC8809986 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2021.1997078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
As a currently identified small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) category, the PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are crucial mediators of cell biology. The human genome comprises over 30.000 piRNA genes. Although considered a new field in cancer research, the piRNA pathway is shown by the existing evidence as an active pathway in a variety of different types of cancers with critical impacts on main aspects of cancer progression. Among the regulatory molecules that contribute to maintaining the dynamics of cancer cells, the P-element Induced WImpy testis (PIWI) proteins and piRNAs, as new players, have not been broadly studied so far. Therefore, the identification of cancer-related piRNAs and the assessment of target genes of piRNAs may lead to better cancer prevention and therapy strategies. This review articleaimed to highlight the role and function of piRNAs based on existing data. Understanding the role of piRNA in cancer may provide perspectives on their applications as particular biomarker signature in diagnosis in early stage, prognosis and therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooneh Mokarram
- Autophagy Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran,Department of Biochemistry, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran,CONTACT Pooneh Mokarram Department of Biochemistry, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Maryam Niknam
- Department of Biochemistry, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mohammadamin Sadeghdoust
- Department of Internal Medicine, Mashhad Medical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Farnaz Aligolighasemabadi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Mashhad Medical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Morvarid Siri
- Autophagy Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Sanaz Dastghaib
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Hassan Brim
- Pathology and Cancer Center, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Hassan Ashktorab
- Department of Medicine, Gastroenterology Division and Cancer Center, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, Dc, USA
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14
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RISC in Entamoeba histolytica: Identification of a Protein-Protein Interaction Network for the RNA Interference Pathway in a Deep-Branching Eukaryote. mBio 2021; 12:e0154021. [PMID: 34488447 PMCID: PMC8546589 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01540-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Entamoeba histolytica is a protozoan parasite that causes amebiasis in humans and is a major health concern in developing countries. Our previous work revealed a functional RNA interference (RNAi) pathway in Entamoeba. Several unusual features encompass the RNAi pathway in the parasite, including small RNAs (sRNAs) with a 5'-polyphosphate structure (identified to date only in Entamoeba and nematodes) and the conspicuous absence of a canonical Dicer enzyme. Currently, little is known about the Entamoeba RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), which is critical in understanding how RNAi is achieved in the parasite. In this study, we examined the RISC of EhAgo2-2, the most highly expressed Argonaute protein in Entamoeba. We identified 43 protein components of EhAgo2-2 RISC with a broad range of functional activities. Two proteins with nucleosome assembly protein (NAP) domains, not previously observed in other RNAi systems, were identified as novel core members of amebic RISC. We further demonstrated the interaction of these NAPs with Ago using an in vitro recombinant system. Finally, we characterized the interaction network of five RISC components identified in this study to further elucidate the interactions of these RNAi pathway proteins. Our data suggest the presence of closely interacting protein groups within RISC and allowed us to build a map of protein-protein interactions in relation to Ago. Our work is the first to elucidate RISC components in Entamoeba and expands the current knowledge of RISC to a deep-branching single-celled eukaryote. IMPORTANCE Entamoeba histolytica is a leading parasitic cause of death in developing countries, and our efforts are focused on defining the molecular basis of RNA interference (RNAi) gene regulation in this parasite. The Entamoeba RNAi pathway effectively silences a subset of endogenous genes and has also been harnessed as a gene silencing tool to study gene function in this organism. However, little is known about the components of the Entamoeba RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), which is critical in understanding how gene silencing is achieved in the parasite. This study characterizes, for the first time, the RISC components in Entamoeba and provides new insights in understanding the molecular regulatory mechanisms of RNAi in this parasite, including the demonstration of novel Ago protein-interacting partners. From an evolutionary point of view, our findings expand the current knowledge of RISC to a deep-branching single-celled eukaryote.
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15
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Li D, Taylor DH, van Wolfswinkel JC. PIWI-mediated control of tissue-specific transposons is essential for somatic cell differentiation. Cell Rep 2021; 37:109776. [PMID: 34610311 PMCID: PMC8532177 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
PIWI proteins are known as mediators of transposon silencing in animal germlines but are also found in adult pluripotent stem cells of highly regenerative animals, where they are essential for regeneration. Study of the nuclear PIWI protein SMEDWI-2 in the planarian somatic stem cell system reveals an intricate interplay between transposons and cell differentiation in which a subset of transposons is inevitably activated during cell differentiation, and the PIWI protein is required to regain control. Absence of SMEDWI-2 leads to tissue-specific transposon derepression related to cell-type-specific chromatin remodeling events and in addition causes reduced accessibility of lineage-specific genes and defective cell differentiation, resulting in fatal tissue dysfunction. Finally, we show that additional PIWI proteins provide a stem-cell-specific second layer of protection in planarian neoblasts. These findings reveal a far-reaching role of PIWI proteins and PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) in stem cell biology and cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danyan Li
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - David H Taylor
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Josien C van Wolfswinkel
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
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16
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Ow MC, Hall SE. piRNAs and endo-siRNAs: Small molecules with large roles in the nervous system. Neurochem Int 2021; 148:105086. [PMID: 34082061 PMCID: PMC8286337 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2021.105086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Since their discovery, small non-coding RNAs have emerged as powerhouses in the regulation of numerous cellular processes. In addition to guarding the integrity of the reproductive system, small non-coding RNAs play critical roles in the maintenance of the soma. Accumulating evidence indicates that small non-coding RNAs perform vital functions in the animal nervous system such as restricting the activity of deleterious transposable elements, regulating nerve regeneration, and mediating learning and memory. In this review, we provide an overview of the current understanding of the contribution of two major classes of small non-coding RNAs, piRNAs and endo-siRNAs, to the nervous system development and function, and present highlights on how the dysregulation of small non-coding RNA pathways can assist in understanding the neuropathology of human neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria C Ow
- Biology Department, Syracuse University, 107 College Place, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA.
| | - Sarah E Hall
- Biology Department, Syracuse University, 107 College Place, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA.
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Specchia V, Bozzetti MP. The Role of HSP90 in Preserving the Integrity of Genomes Against Transposons Is Evolutionarily Conserved. Cells 2021; 10:cells10051096. [PMID: 34064379 PMCID: PMC8147803 DOI: 10.3390/cells10051096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The HSP90 protein is a molecular chaperone intensively studied for its role in numerous cellular processes both under physiological and stress conditions. This protein acts on a wide range of substrates with a well-established role in cancer and neurological disorders. In this review, we focused on the involvement of HSP90 in the silencing of transposable elements and in the genomic integrity maintenance. The common feature of transposable elements is the potential jumping in new genomic positions, causing chromosome structure rearrangements, gene mutations, and influencing gene expression levels. The role of HSP90 in the control of these elements is evolutionarily conserved and opens new perspectives in the HSP90-related mechanisms underlying human disorders. Here, we discuss the hypothesis that its role in the piRNA pathway regulating transposons may be implicated in the onset of neurological diseases.
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18
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Liu N, Neuenkirchen N, Zhong M, Lin H. Genome-wide mapping of Piwi association with specific loci in Drosophila ovaries. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2021; 11:jkaa059. [PMID: 33609367 PMCID: PMC8022938 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkaa059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Small noncoding RNA pathways have been implicated in diverse mechanisms of gene regulation. In Drosophila ovaries, Piwi binds to Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) of mostly 24-28 nucleotides (nt) and plays an important role in germline stem cell maintenance, transposon repression, and epigenetic regulation. To understand the mechanism underlying these functions, we report the application of the DamID-seq method to identify genome-wide binding sites of Piwi in Drosophila ovaries. Piwi localizes to at least 4535 euchromatic regions that are enriched with piRNA target sites. Surprisingly, the density of Piwi binding to euchromatin is much higher than in heterochromatin. Disrupting the piRNA binding of Piwi results in an overall change of the genomic binding profile, which indicates the role of piRNAs in directing Piwi to specific genomic sites. Most Piwi binding sites were either within or in the vicinity of protein-coding genes, particularly enriched near the transcriptional start and termination sites. The methylation signal near the transcriptional termination sites is significantly reduced when Piwi was mutated to become defective in piRNA binding. These observations indicate that Piwi might directly regulate the expression of many protein-coding genes, especially through regulating the 3' ends of targeted transcripts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Liu
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8073, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8073, USA
| | - Nils Neuenkirchen
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8073, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8073, USA
| | - Mei Zhong
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8073, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8073, USA
| | - Haifan Lin
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8073, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8073, USA
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Macias VM, Palatini U, Bonizzoni M, Rasgon JL. Leaning Into the Bite: The piRNA Pathway as an Exemplar for the Genetic Engineering Need in Mosquitoes. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 10:614342. [PMID: 33520739 PMCID: PMC7840538 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.614342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The piRNA pathway is a specialized small RNA interference that in mosquitoes is mechanistically distant from analogous biology in the Drosophila model. Current genetic engineering methods, such as targeted genome manipulation, have a high potential to tease out the functional complexity of this intricate molecular pathway. However, progress in utilizing these methods in arthropod vectors has been geared mostly toward the development of new vector control strategies rather than to study cellular functions. Herein we propose that genetic engineering methods will be essential to uncover the full functionality of PIWI/piRNA biology in mosquitoes and that extending the applications of genetic engineering on other aspects of mosquito biology will grant access to a much larger pool of knowledge in disease vectors that is just out of reach. We discuss motivations for and impediments to expanding the utility of genetic engineering to study the underlying biology and disease transmission and describe specific areas where efforts can be placed to achieve the full potential for genetic engineering in basic biology in mosquito vectors. Such efforts will generate a refreshed intellectual source of novel approaches to disease control and strong support for the effective use of approaches currently in development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa M. Macias
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Umberto Palatini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Jason L. Rasgon
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
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Wang C, Lin H. Roles of piRNAs in transposon and pseudogene regulation of germline mRNAs and lncRNAs. Genome Biol 2021; 22:27. [PMID: 33419460 PMCID: PMC7792047 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-020-02221-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
PIWI proteins, a subfamily of PAZ/PIWI Domain family RNA-binding proteins, are best known for their function in silencing transposons and germline development by partnering with small noncoding RNAs called PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs). However, recent studies have revealed multifaceted roles of the PIWI-piRNA pathway in regulating the expression of other major classes of RNAs in germ cells. In this review, we summarize how PIWI proteins and piRNAs regulate the expression of many disparate RNAs, describing a highly complex global genomic regulatory relationship at the RNA level through which piRNAs functionally connect all major constituents of the genome in the germline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Wang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Haifan Lin
- Yale Stem Cell Center and Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06519, USA.
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21
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Zhu G, Gonzalez LE, Lin H. Piwi in the stem cell niche regulates nurse cell number and oocyte specification. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2020; 2020:10.17912/micropub.biology.000327. [PMID: 33274324 PMCID: PMC7704254 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gina Zhu
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
- Yale College, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Lauren E Gonzalez
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Haifan Lin
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
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22
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Gonzalez LE, Zhu G, Lin H. Ovarian somatic Piwi regulates nurse cell proliferation and oocyte specification in Drosophila. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2020; 2020:10.17912/micropub.biology.000324. [PMID: 33274329 PMCID: PMC7704259 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E Gonzalez
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Gina Zhu
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
- Yale College, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Haifan Lin
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
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23
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Tsurumi A, Li WX. Aging mechanisms-A perspective mostly from Drosophila. ADVANCED GENETICS (HOBOKEN, N.J.) 2020; 1:e10026. [PMID: 36619249 PMCID: PMC9744567 DOI: 10.1002/ggn2.10026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 04/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
A mechanistic understanding of the natural aging process, which is distinct from aging-related disease mechanisms, is essential for developing interventions to extend lifespan or healthspan. Here, we discuss current trends in aging research and address conceptual and experimental challenges in the field. We examine various molecular markers implicated in aging with an emphasis on the role of heterochromatin and epigenetic changes. Studies in model organisms have been advantageous in elucidating conserved genetic and epigenetic mechanisms and assessing interventions that affect aging. We highlight the use of Drosophila, which allows controlled studies for evaluating genetic and environmental contributors to aging conveniently. Finally, we propose the use of novel methodologies and future strategies using Drosophila in aging research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Tsurumi
- Department of SurgeryMassachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA,Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA,Shriners Hospitals for Children‐Boston®BostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Willis X. Li
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California at San DiegoLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
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Meyer-Nava S, Nieto-Caballero VE, Zurita M, Valadez-Graham V. Insights into HP1a-Chromatin Interactions. Cells 2020; 9:E1866. [PMID: 32784937 PMCID: PMC7465937 DOI: 10.3390/cells9081866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the packaging of DNA into chromatin has become a crucial aspect in the study of gene regulatory mechanisms. Heterochromatin establishment and maintenance dynamics have emerged as some of the main features involved in genome stability, cellular development, and diseases. The most extensively studied heterochromatin protein is HP1a. This protein has two main domains, namely the chromoshadow and the chromodomain, separated by a hinge region. Over the years, several works have taken on the task of identifying HP1a partners using different strategies. In this review, we focus on describing these interactions and the possible complexes and subcomplexes associated with this critical protein. Characterization of these complexes will help us to clearly understand the implications of the interactions of HP1a in heterochromatin maintenance, heterochromatin dynamics, and heterochromatin's direct relationship to gene regulation and chromatin organization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Viviana Valadez-Graham
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca Morelos 62210, Mexico; (S.M.-N.); (V.E.N.-C.); (M.Z.)
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25
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Wong CYY, Lee BCH, Yuen KWY. Epigenetic regulation of centromere function. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 77:2899-2917. [PMID: 32008088 PMCID: PMC11105045 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-020-03460-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Revised: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The centromere is a specialized region on the chromosome that directs equal chromosome segregation. Centromeres are usually not defined by DNA sequences alone. How centromere formation and function are determined by epigenetics is still not fully understood. Active centromeres are often marked by the presence of centromeric-specific histone H3 variant, centromere protein A (CENP-A). How CENP-A is assembled into the centromeric chromatin during the cell cycle and propagated to the next cell cycle or the next generation to maintain the centromere function has been intensively investigated. In this review, we summarize current understanding of how post-translational modifications of CENP-A and other centromere proteins, centromeric and pericentric histone modifications, non-coding transcription and transcripts contribute to centromere function, and discuss their intricate relationships and potential feedback mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charmaine Yan Yu Wong
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Kadoorie Biological Sciences Building, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Bernard Chi Hang Lee
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Kadoorie Biological Sciences Building, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Karen Wing Yee Yuen
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Kadoorie Biological Sciences Building, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China.
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26
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Subhramanyam CS, Cao Q, Wang C, Heng ZSL, Zhou Z, Hu Q. Role of PIWI-like 4 in modulating neuronal differentiation from human embryonal carcinoma cells. RNA Biol 2020; 17:1613-1624. [PMID: 32372724 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2020.1757896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
PIWI homologs constitute a subclass of the Argonaute family. Traditionally, they have been shown to associate with a specific class of small RNAs, piRNAs, to suppress transposable elements and protect genomic integrity in germ cells. Recent studies imply that PIWI proteins may also exert important biological functions in somatic contexts, including the brain. However, their exact role in neural development remains unknown. Hence we investigated whether PIWI proteins are involved in neuronal differentiation. By using an established cell model for studying neurogenesis, NTera2/D1 (NT2) cells, we found that a particular PIWI homolog, PIWIL4 was increasingly upregulated throughout the course of all-trans retinoic acid (RA)-mediated neuronal differentiation. During this process, PIWIL4 knockdown led to partial recovery of embryonic stem cell markers, while suppressing RA-induced expression of neuronal markers. Consistently, PIWIL4 overexpression further elevated their expression levels. Furthermore, co-immunoprecipitation revealed an RA-induced interaction between PIWIL4 and the H3K27me3 demethylase UTX. Chromatin immunoprecipitation showed that this interaction could be essential for the removal of H3K27me3 from the promoters of RA-inducible genes. By a similar mechanism, PIWIL4 knockdown also suppressed the expression of PTN and NLGN3, two important neuronal factors secreted to regulate glioma activity. We further noted that the conditioned medium collected from PIWIL4-silenced NT2 cells significantly reduced the proliferation of glioma cells. Thus, our data suggest a novel somatic role of PIWIL4 in modulating the expression of neuronal genes that can be further characterized to promote neuronal differentiation and to modulate the activity of glioma cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Qiong Cao
- Department of Anatomy, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore , Singapore
| | - Cheng Wang
- Department of Anatomy, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore , Singapore
| | - Zealyn Shi Lin Heng
- Department of Anatomy, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore , Singapore
| | - Zhihong Zhou
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore , Singapore
| | - Qidong Hu
- Department of Anatomy, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore , Singapore
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27
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Myc plays an important role in Drosophila P-M hybrid dysgenesis to eliminate germline cells with genetic damage. Commun Biol 2020; 3:185. [PMID: 32322015 PMCID: PMC7176646 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-0923-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic damage in the germline induced by P-element mobilization causes a syndrome known as P-M hybrid dysgenesis (HD), which manifests as elevated mutation frequency and loss of germline cells. In this study, we found that Myc plays an important role in eliminating germline cells in the context of HD. P-element mobilization resulted in downregulation of Myc expression in the germline. Myc knockdown caused germline elimination; conversely, Myc overexpression rescued the germline loss caused by P-element mobilization. Moreover, restoration of fertility by Myc resulted in the production of gametes with elevated mutation frequency and reduced ability to undergo development. Our results demonstrate that Myc downregulation mediates elimination of germline cells with accumulated genetic damage, and that failure to remove these cells results in increased production of aberrant gametes. Therefore, we propose that elimination of germline cells mediated by Myc downregulation is a quality control mechanism that maintains the genomic integrity of the germline.
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Fonseca Cabral G, Azevedo dos Santos Pinheiro J, Vidal AF, Santos S, Ribeiro-dos-Santos Â. piRNAs in Gastric Cancer: A New Approach Towards Translational Research. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21062126. [PMID: 32204558 PMCID: PMC7139476 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21062126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Gastric cancer is currently the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, usually diagnosed at late stages. The development of new biomarkers to improve its prevention and patient management is critical for disease control. piRNAs are small regulatory RNAs important for gene silencing mechanisms, mainly associated with the silencing of transposable elements. piRNA pathways may also be involved in gene regulation and the deregulation of piRNAs may be an important factor in carcinogenic processes. Thus, several studies suggest piRNAs as potential cancer biomarkers. Translational studies suggest that piRNAs may regulate key genes and pathways associated with gastric cancer progression, though there is no functional annotation in piRNA databases. The impacts of genetic variants in piRNA genes and their influence in gastric cancer development remains elusive, highlighting the gap in piRNA regulatory mechanisms knowledge. Here, we discuss the current state of understanding of piRNA-mediated regulation and piRNA functions and suggest that genetic alterations in piRNA genes may affect their functionality, thus, it may be associated with gastric carcinogenesis. Conclusions: In the era of precision medicine, investigations about genetic and epigenetic mechanisms are essential to further comprehend gastric carcinogenesis and the role of piRNAs as potential biomarkers for translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gleyce Fonseca Cabral
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66.075-110, PA, Brazil; (G.F.C.); (J.A.d.S.P.); (A.F.V.); (S.S.)
| | - Jhully Azevedo dos Santos Pinheiro
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66.075-110, PA, Brazil; (G.F.C.); (J.A.d.S.P.); (A.F.V.); (S.S.)
| | - Amanda Ferreira Vidal
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66.075-110, PA, Brazil; (G.F.C.); (J.A.d.S.P.); (A.F.V.); (S.S.)
| | - Sidney Santos
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66.075-110, PA, Brazil; (G.F.C.); (J.A.d.S.P.); (A.F.V.); (S.S.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduacão em Oncologia e Ciências Médicas, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Oncologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66.073-000, PA, Brazil
| | - Ândrea Ribeiro-dos-Santos
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66.075-110, PA, Brazil; (G.F.C.); (J.A.d.S.P.); (A.F.V.); (S.S.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduacão em Oncologia e Ciências Médicas, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Oncologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66.073-000, PA, Brazil
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +55-091-3201-7843
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29
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Babakhanzadeh E, Khodadadian A, Rostami S, Alipourfard I, Aghaei M, Nazari M, Hosseinnia M, Mehrjardi MYV, Jamshidi Y, Ghasemi N. Testicular expression of TDRD1, TDRD5, TDRD9 and TDRD12 in azoospermia. BMC MEDICAL GENETICS 2020; 21:33. [PMID: 32059713 PMCID: PMC7023801 DOI: 10.1186/s12881-020-0970-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Background Tudor domain-containing proteins (TDRDs) play a critical role in piRNA biogenesis and germ cell development. piRNAs, small regulatory RNAs, act by silencing of transposons during germline development and it has recently been shown in animal model studies that defects in TDRD genes can lead to sterility in males. Methods Here we evaluate gene and protein expression levels of four key TDRDs (TDRD1, TDRD5, TDRD9 and TDRD12) in testicular biopsy samples obtained from men with obstructive azoospermia (OA, n = 29), as controls, and various types of non-obstructive azoospermia containing hypospermatogenesis (HP, 28), maturation arrest (MA, n = 30), and Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCOS, n = 32) as cases. One-way ANOVA test followed by Dunnett’s multiple comparison post-test was used to determine inter-group differences in TDRD gene expression among cases and controls. Results The results showed very low expression of TDRD genes in SCOS specimens. Also, the expression of TDRD1 and TDRD9 genes were lower in MA samples compared to OA samples. The expression of TDRD5 significantly reduced in SCOS, MA and HP specimens than the OA specimens. Indeed, TDRD12 exhibited a very low expression in HP specimens in comparison to OA specimens. All these results were confirmed by Western blot technique. Conclusion TDRDs could be very important in male infertility, which should be express in certain stages of spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emad Babakhanzadeh
- Department of Medical Genetics, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.,Medical Genetics Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Ali Khodadadian
- Department of Medical Genetics, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Saadi Rostami
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Iraj Alipourfard
- Center of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Sciences, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Mohsen Aghaei
- Department of Medical Genetics, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Majid Nazari
- Department of Medical Genetics, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Mehdi Hosseinnia
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
| | - Mohammad Yahya Vahidi Mehrjardi
- Department of Medical Genetics, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.,Medical Genetics Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Yalda Jamshidi
- Genetics Centre, Molecular and Clinical Sciences Institute, St George's University of London, London, UK
| | - Nasrin Ghasemi
- Department of Medical Genetics, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran. .,Abortion Research Centre, Yazd Reproductive Sicences Institue, Shahid sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
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30
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Liu X, Shen J, Xie L, Wei Z, Wong C, Li Y, Zheng X, Li P, Song Y. Mitotic Implantation of the Transcription Factor Prospero via Phase Separation Drives Terminal Neuronal Differentiation. Dev Cell 2020; 52:277-293.e8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2019.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2018] [Revised: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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31
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Hsu HJ, Bahader M, Lai CM. Molecular control of the female germline stem cell niche size in Drosophila. Cell Mol Life Sci 2019; 76:4309-4317. [PMID: 31300869 PMCID: PMC11105562 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03223-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Adult stem cells have a unique capacity to renew themselves and generate differentiated cells that are needed in the body. These cells are recruited and maintained by the surrounding microenvironment, known as the stem cell niche, during organ development. Thus, the stem cell niche is required for proper tissue homeostasis, and its dysregulation is associated with tumorigenesis and tissue degeneration. The identification of niche components and the mechanisms that regulate niche establishment and maintenance, however, are just beginning to be uncovered. Germline stem cells (GSCs) of the Drosophila ovary provide an excellent model for studying the stem cell niche in vivo because of their well-characterized cell biology and the availability of genetic tools. In this review, we introduce the ovarian GSC niche, and the key signaling pathways for niche precursor segregation, niche specification, and niche extracellular environment establishment and niche maintenance that are involved in regulating niche size during development and adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hwei-Jan Hsu
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan.
| | - Majid Bahader
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Ming Lai
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
- Department of Developmental Biology, Sloan-Kettering Institute, 1275 York Ave, New York, NY, 10065, USA
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32
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Casier K, Boivin A, Carré C, Teysset L. Environmentally-Induced Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance: Implication of PIWI Interacting RNAs. Cells 2019; 8:cells8091108. [PMID: 31546882 PMCID: PMC6770481 DOI: 10.3390/cells8091108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Revised: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmentally-induced transgenerational epigenetic inheritance is an emerging field. The understanding of associated epigenetic mechanisms is currently in progress with open questions still remaining. In this review, we present an overview of the knowledge of environmentally-induced transgenerational inheritance and associated epigenetic mechanisms, mainly in animals. The second part focuses on the role of PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), a class of small RNAs involved in the maintenance of the germline genome, in epigenetic memory to put into perspective cases of environmentally-induced transgenerational inheritance involving piRNA production. Finally, the last part addresses how genomes are facing production of new piRNAs, and from a broader perspective, how this process might have consequences on evolution and on sporadic disease development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Casier
- Transgenerational Epigenetics & small RNA Biology, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire Biologie du Développement, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, UMR7622, 75005 Paris, France.
| | - Antoine Boivin
- Transgenerational Epigenetics & small RNA Biology, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire Biologie du Développement, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, UMR7622, 75005 Paris, France.
| | - Clément Carré
- Transgenerational Epigenetics & small RNA Biology, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire Biologie du Développement, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, UMR7622, 75005 Paris, France.
| | - Laure Teysset
- Transgenerational Epigenetics & small RNA Biology, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire Biologie du Développement, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, UMR7622, 75005 Paris, France.
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33
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Murano K, Iwasaki YW, Ishizu H, Mashiko A, Shibuya A, Kondo S, Adachi S, Suzuki S, Saito K, Natsume T, Siomi MC, Siomi H. Nuclear RNA export factor variant initiates piRNA-guided co-transcriptional silencing. EMBO J 2019; 38:e102870. [PMID: 31368590 PMCID: PMC6717896 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2019102870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway preserves genomic integrity by repressing transposable elements (TEs) in animal germ cells. Among PIWI-clade proteins in Drosophila, Piwi transcriptionally silences its targets through interactions with cofactors, including Panoramix (Panx) and forms heterochromatin characterized by H3K9me3 and H1. Here, we identified Nxf2, a nuclear RNA export factor (NXF) variant, as a protein that forms complexes with Piwi, Panx, and p15. Panx-Nxf2-P15 complex formation is necessary in the silencing by stabilizing protein levels of Nxf2 and Panx. Notably, ectopic targeting of Nxf2 initiates co-transcriptional repression of the target reporter in a manner independent of H3K9me3 marks or H1. However, continuous silencing requires HP1a and H1. In addition, Nxf2 directly interacts with target TE transcripts in a Piwi-dependent manner. These findings suggest a model in which the Panx-Nxf2-P15 complex enforces the association of Piwi with target transcripts to trigger co-transcriptional repression, prior to heterochromatin formation in the nuclear piRNA pathway. Our results provide an unexpected connection between an NXF variant and small RNA-mediated co-transcriptional silencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kensaku Murano
- Department of Molecular BiologyKeio University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
| | - Yuka W Iwasaki
- Department of Molecular BiologyKeio University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
| | - Hirotsugu Ishizu
- Department of Molecular BiologyKeio University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
| | - Akane Mashiko
- Department of Molecular BiologyKeio University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
- Graduate School of EngineeringYokohama National UniversityYokohamaJapan
| | - Aoi Shibuya
- Department of Molecular BiologyKeio University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
| | - Shu Kondo
- Invertebrate Genetics LaboratoryNational Institute of GeneticsMishimaShizuokaJapan
| | - Shungo Adachi
- Molecular Profiling Research Center for Drug DiscoveryNational Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and TechnologyTokyoJapan
| | - Saori Suzuki
- Department of Biological SciencesGraduate School of ScienceThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Kuniaki Saito
- Invertebrate Genetics LaboratoryNational Institute of GeneticsMishimaShizuokaJapan
| | - Tohru Natsume
- Molecular Profiling Research Center for Drug DiscoveryNational Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and TechnologyTokyoJapan
| | - Mikiko C Siomi
- Department of Biological SciencesGraduate School of ScienceThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Haruhiko Siomi
- Department of Molecular BiologyKeio University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
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Hirakata S, Ishizu H, Fujita A, Tomoe Y, Siomi MC. Requirements for multivalent Yb body assembly in transposon silencing in Drosophila. EMBO Rep 2019; 20:e47708. [PMID: 31267711 PMCID: PMC6607011 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201947708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Revised: 04/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Female sterile (1) Yb (Yb) is a primary component of Yb bodies, perinuclear foci considered to be the site of PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) biogenesis in Drosophila ovarian somatic cells (OSCs). Yb consists of three domains: Helicase C-terminal (Hel-C), RNA helicase, and extended Tudor (eTud) domains. We previously showed that the RNA helicase domain is necessary for Yb-RNA interaction, Yb body formation, and piRNA biogenesis. Here, we investigate the functions of Hel-C and eTud and reveal that Hel-C is dedicated to Yb-Yb homotypic interaction, while eTud is necessary for Yb-RNA association, as is the RNA helicase domain. All of these domains are indispensable for Yb body formation and transposon-repressing piRNA production. Strikingly, however, genic piRNAs unrelated to transposon silencing are produced in OSCs where Yb bodies are disassembled. We also reveal that Yb bodies are liquid-like multivalent condensates whose assembly depends on Yb-Yb homotypic interaction and Yb binding particularly with flamenco RNA transcripts, the source of transposon-repressing piRNAs. New insights into Yb body assembly and biological relevance of Yb bodies in transposon silencing have emerged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigeki Hirakata
- Department of Biological SciencesGraduate School of ScienceThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Hirotsugu Ishizu
- Department of Biological SciencesGraduate School of ScienceThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
- Present address:
Department of Molecular BiologyKeio University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
| | - Aoi Fujita
- Department of Biological SciencesGraduate School of ScienceThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Yumiko Tomoe
- Department of Biological SciencesGraduate School of ScienceThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Mikiko C Siomi
- Department of Biological SciencesGraduate School of ScienceThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
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35
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Wang C, Yang ZZ, Guo FH, Shi S, Han XS, Zeng A, Lin H, Jing Q. Heat shock protein DNAJA1 stabilizes PIWI proteins to support regeneration and homeostasis of planarian Schmidtea mediterranea. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:9873-9887. [PMID: 31076507 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.004445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
PIWI proteins are key regulators of germline and somatic stem cells throughout different evolutionary lineages. However, how PIWI proteins themselves are regulated remains largely unknown. To identify candidate proteins that interact with PIWI proteins and regulate their stability, here we established a yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) assay in the planarian species Schmidtea mediterranea We show that DNAJA1, a heat shock protein 40 family member, interacts with the PIWI protein SMEDWI-2, as validated by the Y2H screen and co-immunoprecipitation assays. We found that DNAJA1 is enriched in planarian adult stem cells, the nervous system, and intestinal tissues. DNAJA1-knockdown abolished planarian regeneration and homeostasis, compromised stem cell maintenance and PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) biogenesis, and deregulated SMEDWI-1/2 target genes. Mechanistically, we observed that DNAJA1 is required for the stability of SMEDWI-1 and SMEDWI-2 proteins. Furthermore, we noted that human DNAJA1 binds to Piwi-like RNA-mediated gene silencing 1 (PIWIL1) and is required for PIWIL1 stability in human gastric cancer cells. In summary, our results reveal not only an evolutionarily conserved functional link between PIWI and DNAJA1 that is essential for PIWI protein stability and piRNA biogenesis, but also an important role of DNAJA1 in the control of proteins involved in stem cell regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Wang
- From the Shanghai Institute of Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China.,the CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China, and
| | - Zhen-Zhen Yang
- From the Shanghai Institute of Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Fang-Hao Guo
- the CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China, and
| | - Shuo Shi
- From the Shanghai Institute of Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Xiao-Shuai Han
- the CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China, and
| | - An Zeng
- the CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China, and
| | - Haifan Lin
- From the Shanghai Institute of Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China, .,the Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
| | - Qing Jing
- the CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China, and
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36
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Stöhr CG, Steffens S, Polifka I, Jung R, Kahlmeyer A, Ivanyi P, Weber F, Hartmann A, Wullich B, Wach S, Taubert H. Piwi-like 1 protein expression is a prognostic factor for renal cell carcinoma patients. Sci Rep 2019; 9:1741. [PMID: 30741998 PMCID: PMC6370845 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-38254-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Piwi-like genes belong to the Argonaute gene family and are conserved in plants, animals and humans. In addition to their essential role in the germ line and as stem cell-associated genes, Piwi-like proteins play a role in different cancer types but have yet to be studied in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). We investigated tissue micro arrays (TMAs) with tumor samples of two independent cohorts of RCC patients (N = 265 and N = 345); we used immunohistochemistry to assess the protein expression of Piwi-like 1. Applying an immunoreactive score (IRS), we found Piwi-like 1 positivity (IRS > 0) in 28.3% and 14.8% of the tumors in cohorts 1 and 2, respectively. Piwi-like 1 positivity was correlated with Fuhrman grade, tumor stage and the presence of distant metastasis (P < 0.005). Moreover, in univariate and multivariate analyses (adjusted to Fuhrman grade and tumor stage), Piwi-like 1 positivity was associated with a shorter cancer-specific survival in the patients in the second cohort. In addition, Piwi-like 1 expression allowed to further distinguish the RCC patients with high Fuhrman grade, high tumor stage, distant metastasis or high pre-operative levels of C-reactive protein, as Piwi-like 1 positivity was associated with a shorter cancer-specific survival in both cohorts. Our data encourage further investigations to enlighten the role of Piwi-like 1 and its function as a marker of poor prognosis in RCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine G Stöhr
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Sandra Steffens
- Clinic for Urology, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany.,Department of Urology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Iris Polifka
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Rudolf Jung
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Andreas Kahlmeyer
- Department of Urology and Pediatric Urology, University Hospital Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Philipp Ivanyi
- Department of Hematology, Hemostasis, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Florian Weber
- Institute of Pathology, University Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Arndt Hartmann
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Bernd Wullich
- Department of Urology and Pediatric Urology, University Hospital Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Sven Wach
- Department of Urology and Pediatric Urology, University Hospital Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Helge Taubert
- Department of Urology and Pediatric Urology, University Hospital Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
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Zhang L, Meng X, Xiang Z, Li D, Han X. From the Cover: Roles of mmu_piR_003399 in Microcystin-Leucine Arginine-Induced Reproductive Toxicity in the Spermatogonial Cells and Testis. Toxicol Sci 2019; 161:159-170. [PMID: 29040791 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfx209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Our previous work has demonstrated that microcystin-leucine arginine (MC-LR) is a potent toxin for the reproductive system of male mice and it exerts cytotoxicity in spermatogonial cells, resulting in the constitutional and functional changes of the mouse testis. The present study was designed to investigate the functions of P-element-induced wimpy (piwi)-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) in MC-LR-induced reproductive toxicity in male mice. We observed an increase in the mmu_piR_003399 level in spermatogonial cells and mouse testicular tissues following treatment with MC-LR. Moreover, our data confirmed that cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (CDK6) was the target gene of mmu_piR_003399. Increases in the concentration of mmu_piR_003399 were correlated with the reduced expression of CDK6 both in vitro and in vivo. mmu_piR_003399 induced cell cycle arrest at the G1-phase, down-regulated sperm counts and sperm motility, and compromised sperm morphology. On the contrary, suppressing the expression of mmu_piR_003399 could substantially attenuate MC-LR-induced pathology in mice including cell cycle arrest, reduced mature sperm counts, sperm viability loss and abnormal sperm morphology. Furthermore, our data supported that mmu_piR_003399 existed in mouse serum and plasma, and its level was increased in MC-LR-treated mice. In conclusion, we demonstrate that mmu_piR_003399 plays a crucial role in regulating MC-LR-induced reproductive toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Zhang
- Immunology and Reproduction Biology Laboratory & State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China and.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China
| | - Xiannan Meng
- Immunology and Reproduction Biology Laboratory & State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China and.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China
| | - Zou Xiang
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Dongmei Li
- Immunology and Reproduction Biology Laboratory & State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China and.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China
| | - Xiaodong Han
- Immunology and Reproduction Biology Laboratory & State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China and.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China
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38
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Yang F, Quan Z, Huang H, He M, Liu X, Cai T, Xi R. Ovaries absent links dLsd1 to HP1a for local H3K4 demethylation required for heterochromatic gene silencing. eLife 2019; 8:40806. [PMID: 30648969 PMCID: PMC6335052 DOI: 10.7554/elife.40806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterochromatin Protein 1 (HP1) is a conserved chromosomal protein in eukaryotic cells that has a major role in directing heterochromatin formation, a process that requires co-transcriptional gene silencing mediated by small RNAs and their associated argonaute proteins. Heterochromatin formation requires erasing the active epigenetic mark, such as H3K4me2, but the molecular link between HP1 and H3K4 demethylation remains unclear. In a fertility screen in female Drosophila, we identified ovaries absent (ova), which functions in the stem cell niche, downstream of Piwi, to support germline stem cell differentiation. Moreover, ova acts as a suppressor of position effect variegation, and is required for silencing telomeric transposons in the germline. Biochemically, Ova acts to link the H3K4 demethylase dLsd1 to HP1a for local histone modifications. Therefore, our study provides a molecular connection between HP1a and local H3K4 demethylation during HP1a-mediated gene silencing that is required for ovary development, transposon silencing, and heterochromatin formation. Editorial note: This article has been through an editorial process in which the authors decide how to respond to the issues raised during peer review. The Reviewing Editor's assessment is that all the issues have been addressed (see decision letter). The complete set of genetic material within a cell is known as a genome. The genomes of human and other animal cells have regions of active genes interspersed with ‘dark’ regions known as heterochromatin, which contain genes and other types of genetic material that have been inactivated. Heterochromatin commonly contains sections of genetic material known as transposons. When a transposon is active it is able to move around the genome, therefore, inactivating (or ‘silencing’) transposons helps to maintain the integrity of the genetic material in a cell. It is particularly important to silence transposons in the stem cells that produce sperm and egg cells – known as germline stem cells – to ensure genetic information is faithfully passed on to the next generation. A protein called HP1a plays a major role in directing where heterochromatin forms in the genome. This process requires an enzyme called dLsd1 to remove a small tag from the genetic material but it is not clear how HP1a regulates the activity of dLsd1. To address this question, Yang et al. studied how egg cells form in fruit flies, which are often used as models of animal biology in experiments. The team screened a population of fruit flies that carried mutations in many different genes to identify genes that affect the fertility of female flies. This revealed a gene named as ovaries absent (or ova for short) is required for egg cells to form. In germline stem cells ova silences transposons and in the surrounding tissue it represses a specific signal that usually maintains stem cells to allow the stem cells to divide to make egg cells. Further experiments using biochemical techniques found that the protein encoded by ova acts as a bridge to bring HP1a and dLsd1 together to silence genes in heterochromatin. The next step would be to identify the functional counterpart of the ova gene in mammals, including humans, which may help to discover causes of infertility and develop new fertility treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fu Yang
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenghui Quan
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huanwei Huang
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Minghui He
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xicheng Liu
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Cai
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rongwen Xi
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China.,Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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van den Beek M, da Silva B, Pouch J, Ali Chaouche MEA, Carré C, Antoniewski C. Dual-layer transposon repression in heads of Drosophila melanogaster. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2018; 24:1749-1760. [PMID: 30217866 PMCID: PMC6239173 DOI: 10.1261/rna.067173.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
piRNA-mediated repression of transposable elements (TE) in the germline limits the accumulation of mutations caused by their transposition. It is not clear whether the piRNA pathway plays a role in adult, nongonadal tissues in Drosophila melanogaster. To address this question, we analyzed the small RNA content of adult Drosophila melanogaster heads. We found that the varying amount of piRNA-sized, ping-pong positive molecules in heads correlates with contamination by gonadal tissue during RNA extraction, suggesting that most of the piRNAs detected in heads originate from gonads. We next sequenced the heads of wild-type and piwi mutants to address whether piwi loss of function would affect the low amount of piRNA-sized, ping-pong negative molecules that are still detected in heads hand-checked to avoid gonadal contamination. We find that loss of piwi does not significantly affect these 24-28 nt RNAs. Instead, we observe increased siRNA levels against the majority of Drosophila TE families. To determine the effect of this siRNA level change on transposon expression, we sequenced the transcriptome of wild-type, piwi, dicer-2 and piwi, dicer-2 double-mutant heads. We find that RNA expression levels of the majority of TE in piwi or dicer-2 mutants remain unchanged and that TE transcripts increase only in piwi, dicer-2 double-mutants. These results lead us to suggest a dual-layer model for TE repression in adult somatic tissues. Piwi-mediated gene silencing established during embryogenesis constitutes the first layer of TE repression whereas Dicer-2-dependent siRNA-mediated silencing provides a backup mechanism to repress TEs that escape silencing by Piwi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marius van den Beek
- Drosophila Genetics and Epigenetics; Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie du développement - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Bruno da Silva
- Drosophila Genetics and Epigenetics; Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie du développement - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Juliette Pouch
- Genomic facility, Institut de biologie de l'Ecole normale supérieure (IBENS), Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Université Paris, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Mohammed El Amine Ali Chaouche
- Genomic facility, Institut de biologie de l'Ecole normale supérieure (IBENS), Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Université Paris, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Clément Carré
- Drosophila Genetics and Epigenetics; Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie du développement - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Christophe Antoniewski
- Drosophila Genetics and Epigenetics; Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie du développement - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, 75005 Paris, France
- ARTbio Bioinformatics Analysis Facility, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, 75005 Paris, France
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40
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Lebedeva LA, Yakovlev KV, Kozlov EN, Schedl P, Deshpande G, Shidlovskii YV. Transcriptional quiescence in primordial germ cells. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2018; 53:579-595. [PMID: 30280955 PMCID: PMC8729227 DOI: 10.1080/10409238.2018.1506733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Revised: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
In most animal species, newly formed primordial germ cells (PGCs) acquire the special characteristics that distinguish them from the surrounding somatic cells. Proper fate specification of the PGCs is coupled with transcriptional quiescence, whether they are segregated by determinative or inductive mechanisms. Inappropriate differentiation of PGCs into somatic cells is thought to be prevented due to repression of RNA polymerase (Pol) II-dependent transcription. In the case of a determinative mode of PGC formation (Drosophila, Caenorhabditis elegans, etc.), there is a broad downregulation of Pol II activity. By contrast, PGCs display only gene-specific repression in organisms that rely on inductive signaling-based mechanism (e.g., mice). In addition to the global block of Pol II activity in PGCs, gene expression can be suppressed in other ways, such as chromatin remodeling and Piwi-mediated RNAi. Here, we discuss the mechanisms responsible for the transcriptionally silent state of PGCs in common experimental animals, such as Drosophila, C. elegans, Danio rerio, Xenopus, and mouse. While a PGC-specific downregulation of transcription is a common feature among these organisms, the diverse nature of underlying mechanisms suggests that this functional trait likely evolved independently on several instances. We discuss the possible biological relevance of these silencing mechanisms vis-a-vis fate determination of PGCs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Konstantin V. Yakovlev
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Laboratory of Cytotechnology, National Scientific Center of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Eugene N. Kozlov
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Paul Schedl
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Girish Deshpande
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Yulii V. Shidlovskii
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
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41
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Sato K, Siomi MC. Two distinct transcriptional controls triggered by nuclear Piwi-piRISCs in the Drosophila piRNA pathway. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2018; 53:69-76. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2018.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2017] [Accepted: 06/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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42
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Lee SK, Xue Y, Shen W, Zhang Y, Joo Y, Ahmad M, Chinen M, Ding Y, Ku WL, De S, Lehrmann E, Becker KG, Lei EP, Zhao K, Zou S, Sharov A, Wang W. Topoisomerase 3β interacts with RNAi machinery to promote heterochromatin formation and transcriptional silencing in Drosophila. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4946. [PMID: 30470739 PMCID: PMC6251927 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07101-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Topoisomerases solve topological problems during DNA metabolism, but whether they participate in RNA metabolism remains unclear. Top3β represents a family of topoisomerases carrying activities for both DNA and RNA. Here we show that in Drosophila, Top3β interacts biochemically and genetically with the RNAi-induced silencing complex (RISC) containing AGO2, p68 RNA helicase, and FMRP. Top3β and RISC mutants are similarly defective in heterochromatin formation and transcriptional silencing by position-effect variegation assay. Moreover, both Top3β and AGO2 mutants exhibit reduced levels of heterochromatin protein HP1 in heterochromatin. Furthermore, expression of several genes and transposable elements in heterochromatin is increased in the Top3β mutant. Notably, Top3β mutants defective in either RNA binding or catalytic activity are deficient in promoting HP1 recruitment and silencing of transposable elements. Our data suggest that Top3β may act as an RNA topoisomerase in siRNA-guided heterochromatin formation and transcriptional silencing. Topoisomerases solve topological problems during DNA metabolism, but their role in RNA metabolism remains unclear. Here the authors provide evidence that in Drosophila, Topoisomerase 3β interacts biochemically and genetically with the RNAi-induced silencing complex (RISC) to promote heterochromatin formation and transcriptional silencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung Kyu Lee
- Lab of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Yutong Xue
- Lab of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Weiping Shen
- Lab of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Yongqing Zhang
- Lab of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Yuyoung Joo
- Lab of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Muzammil Ahmad
- Lab of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Madoka Chinen
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Yi Ding
- System Biology Center, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Wai Lim Ku
- System Biology Center, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Supriyo De
- Lab of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Elin Lehrmann
- Lab of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Kevin G Becker
- Lab of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Elissa P Lei
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Keji Zhao
- System Biology Center, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Sige Zou
- Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Alexei Sharov
- Lab of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Weidong Wang
- Lab of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
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43
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Czech B, Munafò M, Ciabrelli F, Eastwood EL, Fabry MH, Kneuss E, Hannon GJ. piRNA-Guided Genome Defense: From Biogenesis to Silencing. Annu Rev Genet 2018; 52:131-157. [PMID: 30476449 PMCID: PMC10784713 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-120417-031441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 303] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) and their associated PIWI clade Argonaute proteins constitute the core of the piRNA pathway. In gonadal cells, this conserved pathway is crucial for genome defense, and its main function is to silence transposable elements. This is achieved through posttranscriptional and transcriptional gene silencing. Precursors that give rise to piRNAs require specialized transcription and transport machineries because piRNA biogenesis is a cytoplasmic process. The ping-pong cycle, a posttranscriptional silencing mechanism, combines the cleavage-dependent silencing of transposon RNAs with piRNA production. PIWI proteins also function in the nucleus, where they scan for nascent target transcripts with sequence complementarity, instructing transcriptional silencing and deposition of repressive chromatin marks at transposon loci. Although studies have revealed numerous factors that participate in each branch of the piRNA pathway, the precise molecular roles of these factors often remain unclear. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the mechanisms involved in piRNA biogenesis and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Czech
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0RE, United Kingdom; ,
| | - Marzia Munafò
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0RE, United Kingdom; ,
| | - Filippo Ciabrelli
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0RE, United Kingdom; ,
| | - Evelyn L Eastwood
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0RE, United Kingdom; ,
| | - Martin H Fabry
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0RE, United Kingdom; ,
| | - Emma Kneuss
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0RE, United Kingdom; ,
| | - Gregory J Hannon
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0RE, United Kingdom; ,
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Abstract
Gametogenesis represents the most dramatic cellular differentiation pathways in both female and male flies. At the genome level, meiosis ensures that diploid germ cells become haploid gametes. At the epigenome level, extensive changes are required to turn on and shut off gene expression in a precise spatiotemporally controlled manner. Research applying conventional molecular genetics and cell biology, in combination with rapidly advancing genomic tools have helped us to investigate (1) how germ cells maintain lineage specificity throughout their adult reproductive lifetime; (2) what molecular mechanisms ensure proper oogenesis and spermatogenesis, as well as protect genome integrity of the germline; (3) how signaling pathways contribute to germline-soma communication; and (4) if such communication is important. In this chapter, we highlight recent discoveries that have improved our understanding of these questions. On the other hand, restarting a new life cycle upon fertilization is a unique challenge faced by gametes, raising questions that involve intergenerational and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. Therefore, we also discuss new developments that link changes during gametogenesis to early embryonic development-a rapidly growing field that promises to bring more understanding to some fundamental questions regarding metazoan development.
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Russell SJ, Stalker L, LaMarre J. PIWIs, piRNAs and Retrotransposons: Complex battles during reprogramming in gametes and early embryos. Reprod Domest Anim 2018; 52 Suppl 4:28-38. [PMID: 29052331 DOI: 10.1111/rda.13053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Gamete and embryo development are indispensable processes for successful reproduction. Cells involved in these processes acquire pluripotency, the ability to differentiate into multiple different cell types, through a series of events known as reprogramming that lead to profound changes in histone and DNA methylation. While essential for pluripotency, this epigenetic remodelling removes constraints that normally limit the expression of genomic sequences known as transposable elements (TEs). Unconstrained TE expression can lead to many deleterious consequences including infertility, so organisms have evolved complex and potent mechanistic arsenals to target and suppress TE expression during reprogramming. This review will focus on the control of transposable elements in gametes and embryos, and one important TE suppressing system known as the PIWI pathway. This broadly conserved, small RNA-targeted silencing mechanism appears critical for fertility in many species and may participate in multiple aspects of gene regulation in reproduction and other contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- S J Russell
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - L Stalker
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - J LaMarre
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
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46
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Bridger JM, Brindley PJ, Knight M. The snail Biomphalaria glabrata as a model to interrogate the molecular basis of complex human diseases. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006552. [PMID: 30091971 PMCID: PMC6084811 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Joanna M. Bridger
- Institute of Environment, Health, and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, United Kingdom
| | - Paul J. Brindley
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington DC, United States of America
- Research Center for Neglected Diseases of Poverty, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington DC, United States of America
| | - Matty Knight
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington DC, United States of America
- Research Center for Neglected Diseases of Poverty, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington DC, United States of America
- Division of Science and Mathematics, University of the District of Columbia, Washington DC, United States of America
- * E-mail: ,
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47
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Pathogenic tau-induced piRNA depletion promotes neuronal death through transposable element dysregulation in neurodegenerative tauopathies. Nat Neurosci 2018; 21:1038-1048. [PMID: 30038280 PMCID: PMC6095477 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-018-0194-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Transposable elements, known colloquially as “jumping genes,” constitute approximately 45% of the human genome. Cells utilize epigenetic defenses to limit transposable element jumping, including formation of silencing heterochromatin and generation of piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), small RNAs that facilitate clearance of transposable element transcripts. Here we identify transposable element dysregulation as a key mediator of neuronal death in tauopathies, a group of neurodegenerative disorders that are pathologically characterized by deposits of tau protein in the brain. Mechanistically, we find that heterochromatin decondensation and reduction of piwi/piRNAs drive transposable element dysregulation in tauopathy. We further report a significant increase in transcripts of the endogenous retrovirus class of transposable elements in human Alzheimer’s disease and progressive supranuclear palsy, suggesting that transposable element dysregulation is conserved in human tauopathy. Taken together, our data identify heterochromatin decondensation, piwi/piRNA depletion and consequent transposable element dysregulation as a novel, pharmacologically targetable, mechanistic driver of neurodegeneration in tauopathy.
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Serrato-Capuchina A, Matute DR. The Role of Transposable Elements in Speciation. Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:E254. [PMID: 29762547 PMCID: PMC5977194 DOI: 10.3390/genes9050254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the phenotypic and molecular mechanisms that contribute to genetic diversity between and within species is fundamental in studying the evolution of species. In particular, identifying the interspecific differences that lead to the reduction or even cessation of gene flow between nascent species is one of the main goals of speciation genetic research. Transposable elements (TEs) are DNA sequences with the ability to move within genomes. TEs are ubiquitous throughout eukaryotic genomes and have been shown to alter regulatory networks, gene expression, and to rearrange genomes as a result of their transposition. However, no systematic effort has evaluated the role of TEs in speciation. We compiled the evidence for TEs as potential causes of reproductive isolation across a diversity of taxa. We find that TEs are often associated with hybrid defects that might preclude the fusion between species, but that the involvement of TEs in other barriers to gene flow different from postzygotic isolation is still relatively unknown. Finally, we list a series of guides and research avenues to disentangle the effects of TEs on the origin of new species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Serrato-Capuchina
- Biology Department, Genome Sciences Building, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA.
| | - Daniel R Matute
- Biology Department, Genome Sciences Building, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA.
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Teo RYW, Anand A, Sridhar V, Okamura K, Kai T. Heterochromatin protein 1a functions for piRNA biogenesis predominantly from pericentric and telomeric regions in Drosophila. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1735. [PMID: 29728561 PMCID: PMC5935673 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03908-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In metazoan germline, Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) provide defence against transposons. Piwi-piRNA complex mediates transcriptional silencing of transposons in nucleus. Heterochromatin protein 1a (HP1a) has been proposed to function downstream of Piwi-piRNA complex in Drosophila. Here we show that HP1a germline knockdown (HP1a-GLKD) leads to a reduction in the total and Piwi-bound piRNAs mapping to clusters and transposons insertions, predominantly in the regions close to telomeres and centromeres, resulting in derepression of a limited number of transposons from these regions. In addition, HP1a-GLKD increases the splicing of transcripts arising from clusters in above regions, suggesting HP1a also functions upstream to piRNA processing. Evolutionarily old transposons enriched in the pericentric regions exhibit significant loss in piRNAs targeting these transposons upon HP1a-GLKD. Our study suggests that HP1a functions to repress transposons in a chromosomal compartmentalised manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Yee Wei Teo
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, 117604, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 117543, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Pathology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, 11 Jalan Tan Tock Seng, Singapore, 308433, Singapore
| | - Amit Anand
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, 117604, Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Vishweshwaren Sridhar
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, 117604, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Katsutomo Okamura
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, 117604, Singapore, Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, 637551, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Toshie Kai
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
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The Challenges and Opportunities in the Clinical Application of Noncoding RNAs: The Road Map for miRNAs and piRNAs in Cancer Diagnostics and Prognostics. Int J Genomics 2018; 2018:5848046. [PMID: 29854719 PMCID: PMC5952559 DOI: 10.1155/2018/5848046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Revised: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Discoveries on nonprotein-coding RNAs have induced a paradigm shift in our overall understanding of gene expression and regulation. We now understand that coding and noncoding RNA machinery work in concert to maintain overall homeostasis. Based on their length, noncoding RNAs are broadly classified into two groups—long (>200 nt) and small noncoding RNAs (<200 nt). These RNAs perform diverse functions—gene regulation, splicing, translation, and posttranscriptional modifications. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are two classes of small noncoding RNAs that are now classified as master regulators of gene expression. They have also demonstrated clinical significance as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for several diseases, including cancer. Despite these similarities, both these RNAs are generated through contrasting mechanisms, and one of the aims of this review is to cover the distance travelled since their discovery and compare and contrast the various facets of these RNAs. Although these RNAs show tremendous promise as biomarkers, translating the findings from bench to bedside is often met with roadblocks. The second aim of this review therefore is to highlight some of the challenges that hinder application of miRNA and piRNA as in guiding treatment decisions.
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