scholarly journals piRNA and Transposon Dynamics in Drosophila: A Female Story

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 931-947 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bastien Saint-Leandre ◽  
Pierre Capy ◽  
Aurelie Hua-Van ◽  
Jonathan Filée
Keyword(s):  
Small Rna ◽  
Drosophila Simulans ◽  
Genomic Context ◽  
Genome Sequences ◽  
Genomic Features ◽  
Male Germline ◽  
Recent Activity ◽  
Pirna Pathway ◽  
Female Germline ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract The germlines of metazoans contain transposable elements (TEs) causing genetic instability and affecting fitness. To protect the germline from TE activity, gonads of metazoans produce TE-derived PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) that silence TE expression. In Drosophila, our understanding of piRNA biogenesis is mainly based on studies of the Drosophila melanogaster female germline. However, it is not known whether piRNA functions are also important in the male germline or whether and how piRNAs are affected by the global genomic context. To address these questions, we compared genome sequences, transcriptomes, and small RNA libraries extracted from entire testes and ovaries of two sister species: D. melanogaster and Drosophila simulans. We found that most TE-derived piRNAs were produced in ovaries and that piRNA pathway genes were strongly overexpressed in ovaries compared with testes, indicating that the silencing of TEs by the piRNA pathway mainly took place in the female germline. To study the relationship between host piRNAs and TE landscape, we analyzed TE genomic features and how they correlate with piRNA production in the two species. In D. melanogaster, we found that TE-derived piRNAs target recently active TEs. In contrast, although Drosophila simulans TEs do not display any features of recent activity, the host still intensively produced silencing piRNAs targeting old TE relics. Together, our results show that the piRNA silencing response mainly takes place in Drosophila ovaries and indicate that the host piRNA response is implemented following a burst of TE activity and could persist long after the extinction of active TE families.

scholarly journals RDC complex executes a dynamic piRNA program during Drosophila spermatogenesis to safeguard male fertility

PLoS Genetics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. e1009591
Author(s):  
Peiwei Chen ◽  
Yicheng Luo ◽  
Alexei A. Aravin
Keyword(s):  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Common Belief ◽  
Germline Stem Cells ◽  
Male Germline ◽  
Pirna Cluster ◽  
Transposon Silencing ◽  
Normal Spermatogenesis ◽  
The Common ◽  
Pirna Pathway ◽  
Female Germline

piRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that guide the silencing of transposons and other targets in animal gonads. In Drosophila female germline, many piRNA source loci dubbed “piRNA clusters” lack hallmarks of active genes and exploit an alternative path for transcription, which relies on the Rhino-Deadlock-Cutoff (RDC) complex. RDC was thought to be absent in testis, so it remains to date unknown how piRNA cluster transcription is regulated in the male germline. We found that components of RDC complex are expressed in male germ cells during early spermatogenesis, from germline stem cells (GSCs) to early spermatocytes. RDC is essential for expression of dual-strand piRNA clusters and transposon silencing in testis; however, it is dispensable for expression of Y-linked Suppressor of Stellate piRNAs and therefore Stellate silencing. Despite intact Stellate repression, males lacking RDC exhibited compromised fertility accompanied by germline DNA damage and GSC loss. Thus, piRNA-guided repression is essential for normal spermatogenesis beyond Stellate silencing. While RDC associates with multiple piRNA clusters in GSCs and early spermatogonia, its localization changes in later stages as RDC concentrates on a single X-linked locus, AT-chX. Dynamic RDC localization is paralleled by changes in piRNA cluster expression, indicating that RDC executes a fluid piRNA program during different stages of spermatogenesis. These results disprove the common belief that RDC is dispensable for piRNA biogenesis in testis and uncover the unexpected, sexually dimorphic and dynamic behavior of a core piRNA pathway machinery.

Temps du deuil, temps du récit. Le renversement du temps dans La première année de Jean-Michel Espitallier

2020 ◽  
pp. 71-82
Author(s):  
Despina Jderu
Keyword(s):  
Narrative Structure ◽  
Literary Discourse ◽  
Prominent Feature ◽  
Literary Space ◽  
French Writer ◽  
Recent Activity ◽  
Nature Of Time ◽  
Denial Of Death ◽  
The Relationship

This paper aims to analyze the nature of time as identified in the narrative structure built by the French writer, Jean-Michel Espitallier, in his novel, La première année. We are considering how the author perceives the relationship between time and mourning through the ability of literary space to provide a compensatory universe. We are looking to observe recent activity in French mourning literature through the lens of this particularly novel, namely its perspective on processing mourning and trauma. This paper also highlights a prominent feature of French mourning literature: how the narrator’s literary discourse is used to fight against the passing of time. The fight against time is an implicit denial of death and mourning.

scholarly journals A hobo Transgene That Encodes the P-Element Transposase in Drosophila melanogaster: Autoregulation and Cytotype Control of Transposase Activity

Genetics ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 161 (1) ◽  
pp. 195-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J Simmons ◽  
Kevin J Haley ◽  
Craig D Grimes ◽  
John D Raymond ◽  
Jarad B Niemi
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Gonadal Dysgenesis ◽  
P Element ◽  
Hsp70 Gene ◽  
Alternate Splicing ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
P Elements ◽  
Male Germline ◽  
Female Germline ◽  
Transposase Expression

Abstract Drosophila were genetically transformed with a hobo transgene that contains a terminally truncated but otherwise complete P element fused to the promoter from the Drosophila hsp70 gene. Insertions of this H(hsp/CP) transgene on either of the major autosomes produced the P transposase in both the male and female germlines, but not in the soma. Heat-shock treatments significantly increased transposase activity in the female germline; in the male germline, these treatments had little effect. The transposase activity of two insertions of the H(hsp/CP) transgene was not significantly greater than their separate activities, and one insertion of this transgene reduced the transposase activity of P(ry+, Δ2-3)99B, a stable P transgene, in the germline as well as in the soma. These observations suggest that, through alternate splicing, the H(hsp/CP) transgene produces a repressor that feeds back negatively to regulate transposase expression or function in both the somatic and germline tissues. The H(hsp/CP) transgenes are able to induce gonadal dysgenesis when the transposase they encode has P-element targets to attack. However, this ability and the ability to induce P-element excisions are repressed by the P cytotype, a chromosomal/cytoplasmic state that regulates P elements in the germline.

scholarly journals New complete genome sequences of human rhinoviruses shed light on their phylogeny and genomic features

BMC Genomics ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Tapparel ◽  
Thomas Junier ◽  
Daniel Gerlach ◽  
Samuel Cordey ◽  
Sandra Van Belle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Complete Genome ◽  
Genome Sequences ◽  
Genomic Features ◽  
Shed Light

scholarly journals Chromosomal rearrangements and protein globularity changes inMycobacterium tuberculosisisolates from cerebrospinal fluid

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e2484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seow Hoon Saw ◽  
Joon Liang Tan ◽  
Xin Yue Chan ◽  
Kok Gan Chan ◽  
Yun Fong Ngeow
Keyword(s):  
Cerebrospinal Fluid ◽  
Chromosomal Rearrangements ◽  
Genome Sequences ◽  
Genetic Traits ◽  
Genomic Features ◽  
Synonymous Snps ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Transcription Regulators ◽  
Central Nervous System Invasion

BackgroundMeningitis is a major cause of mortality in tuberculosis (TB). It is not clear what factors promote central nervous system invasion and pathology but it has been reported that certain strains ofMycobacterium tuberculosis(Mtb) might have genetic traits associated with neurotropism.MethodsIn this study, we generated whole genome sequences of eight clinical strains ofMtbthat were isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients presenting with tuberculous meningitis (TBM) in Malaysia, and compared them to the genomes of H37Rv and other respiratoryMtbgenomes either downloaded from public databases or extracted from local sputum isolates. We aimed to find genomic features that might be distinctly different between CSF-derived and respiratoryMtb.ResultsGenome-wide comparisons revealed rearrangements (translocations, inversions, insertions and deletions) and non-synonymous SNPs in our CSF-derived strains that were not observed in the respiratoryMtbgenomes used for comparison. These rearranged segments were rich in genes for PE (proline-glutamate)/PPE (proline-proline-glutamate), transcriptional and membrane proteins. Similarly, most of the ns SNPs common in CSF strains were noted in genes encoding PE/PPE proteins. Protein globularity differences were observed among mycobacteria from CSF and respiratory sources and in proteins previously reported to be associated with TB meningitis. Transcription factors and other transcription regulators featured prominently in these proteins. Homologs of proteins associated withStreptococcus pneumoniaemeningitis andNeisseria meningitidisvirulence were identified in neuropathogenic as well as respiratory mycobacterial spp. examined in this study.DiscussionThe occurrence of in silico genetic differences in CSF-derived but not respiratoryMtbsuggests their possible involvement in the pathogenesis of TBM. However, overall findings in this comparative analysis support the postulation that TB meningeal infection is more likely to be related to the expression of multiple virulence factors on interaction with host defences than to CNS tropism associated with specific genetic traits.

scholarly journals Intergenerational metabolic priming by sperm piRNAs

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adelheid Lempradl ◽  
Unn Kugelberg ◽  
Mary Iconomou ◽  
Ian Beddows ◽  
Daniel Nätt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Small Rna ◽  
Small Rnas ◽  
Target Gene ◽  
Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
Mature Sperm ◽  
Transcriptional Reprogramming ◽  
Complementary Sequences ◽  
Specific Manner ◽  
Dietary Sugar ◽  
Pirna Pathway

Preconception parental environment can reproducibly program offspring phenotype without altering the DNA sequence, yet the mechanisms underpinning this epigenetic inheritance remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate the existence of an intact piRNA-pathway in mature Drosophila sperm and show that pathway modulation alters offspring gene transcription in a sequence-specific manner. We map a dynamic small RNA content in developing sperm and find that the mature sperm carry a highly distinct small RNA cargo. By biochemical pulldown, we identify a small RNA subset bound directly to piwi protein. And, we show that piRNA-pathway controlled sperm small RNAs are linked to target gene repression in offspring. Critically, we find that full piRNA-pathway dosage is necessary for the intergenerational metabolic and transcriptional reprogramming events triggered by high paternal dietary sugar. These data provide a direct link between regulation of endogenous mature sperm small RNAs and transcriptional programming of complementary sequences in offspring. Thus, we identify a novel mediator of paternal intergenerational epigenetic inheritance.

scholarly journals Multiple roles of PIWIL1 in mouse neocorticogenesis

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Viljetic ◽  
Liyang Diao ◽  
Jixia Liu ◽  
Zeljka Krsnik ◽  
Sagara H.R. Wijeratne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Small Rna ◽  
Radial Glia ◽  
Multiple Roles ◽  
Small Rna Sequencing ◽  
Knock Out ◽  
Deep Layers ◽  
Pirna Pathway ◽  
The Brain

AbstractPIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) and their associated PIWI proteins play an important role in repressing transposable elements in animal germlines. However, little is known about the function of PIWI proteins and piRNAs in the developing brain. Here, we investigated the role of an important PIWI family member, Piwi-like protein 1 (Piwil1; also known as Miwi in mouse) in the developing mouse neocortex. Using a Piwil1 knock-out (Piwil1 KO) mouse strain, we found that Piwil1 is essential for several steps of neocorticogenesis, including neocortical cell cycle, neuron migration and dendritogenesis. Piwil1 deletion resulted in increased cell cycle re-entry at embryonic day 17 (E17) when predominantly intracortically projecting neurons are being produced. Prenatal Piwil1 deletion increased the number of Pax6+ radial glia at postnatal day 0 (P0). Furthermore, Piwil1 deletion disrupted migration of Satb2+ neurons within deep layers at E17, P0 and P7. Satb2+ neurons showed increased co-localization with Bcl11b (also known as Ctip2), marker of subcortically projecting neurons. Piwil1 knockouts had disrupted neocortical circuitry represented by thinning of the corpus callosum and altered dendritogenesis. We further investigated if Piwil1 deletion disrupted expression levels of neocortical piRNAs by small RNA-sequencing in neocortex. We did not find differential expression of piRNAs in the neocortices of Piwil1 KO, while differences were observed in other Piwil1 KO tissues. This result suggests that Piwil1 may act independently of piRNAs and have novel roles in higher cognitive centers, such as neocortex. In addition, we report a screen of piRNAs derived from tRNA fragments in developing neocortices. Our result is the first report of selective subsets of piRNAs and tRNA fragments in developing prenatal neocortices and helps clarify some outstanding questions about the role of the piRNA pathway in the brain.

scholarly journals Comparative Genomics Reveals the Core Gene Toolbox for the Fungus-Insect Symbiosis

mBio ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Wang ◽  
Matt Stata ◽  
Wei Wang ◽  
Jason E. Stajich ◽  
Merlin M. White ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Entomopathogenic Fungi ◽  
Gc Content ◽  
Core Gene ◽  
Whole Genome ◽  
Black Flies ◽  
Genome Sequences ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Genomic Features ◽  
Insect Pathogens ◽  
Insect Gut

ABSTRACTModern genomics has shed light on many entomopathogenic fungi and expanded our knowledge widely; however, little is known about the genomic features of the insect-commensal fungi. Harpellales are obligate commensals living in the digestive tracts of disease-bearing insects (black flies, midges, and mosquitoes). In this study, we produced and annotated whole-genome sequences of nine Harpellales taxa and conducted the first comparative analyses to infer the genomic diversity within the members of the Harpellales. The genomes of the insect gut fungi feature low (26% to 37%) GC content and large genome size variations (25 to 102 Mb). Further comparisons with insect-pathogenic fungi (from both Ascomycota and Zoopagomycota), as well as with free-living relatives (as negative controls), helped to identify a gene toolbox that is essential to the fungus-insect symbiosis. The results not only narrow the genomic scope of fungus-insect interactions from several thousands to eight core players but also distinguish host invasion strategies employed by insect pathogens and commensals. The genomic content suggests that insect commensal fungi rely mostly on adhesion protein anchors that target digestive system, while entomopathogenic fungi have higher numbers of transmembrane helices, signal peptides, and pathogen-host interaction (PHI) genes across the whole genome and enrich genes as well as functional domains to inactivate the host inflammation system and suppress the host defense. Phylogenomic analyses have revealed that genome sizes of Harpellales fungi vary among lineages with an integer-multiple pattern, which implies that ancient genome duplications may have occurred within the gut of insects.IMPORTANCEInsect guts harbor various microbes that are important for host digestion, immune response, and disease dispersal in certain cases. Bacteria, which are among the primary endosymbionts, have been studied extensively. However, fungi, which are also frequently encountered, are poorly known with respect to their biology within the insect guts. To understand the genomic features and related biology, we produced the whole-genome sequences of nine gut commensal fungi from disease-bearing insects (black flies, midges, and mosquitoes). The results show that insect gut fungi tend to have low GC content across their genomes. By comparing these commensals with entomopathogenic and free-living fungi that have available genome sequences, we found a universal core gene toolbox that is unique and thus potentially important for the insect-fungus symbiosis. This comparative work also uncovered different host invasion strategies employed by insect pathogens and commensals, as well as a model system to study ancient fungal genome duplication within the gut of insects.

scholarly journals Specialization of the Drosophila nuclear export family protein, Nxf3, for piRNA precursor export

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Kneuss ◽  
Marzia Munafò ◽  
Evelyn L. Eastwood ◽  
Undine-Sophie Deumer ◽  
Jonathan B. Preall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase Ii ◽  
Small Rna ◽  
Nuclear Export ◽  
Mrna Export ◽  
Transposon Silencing ◽  
Family Protein ◽  
Pirna Pathway ◽  
Harmful Effects ◽  
Shed Light ◽  
Mature Mrnas

AbstractThe piRNA pathway is a conserved, small RNA-based immune system that protects animal germ cell genomes from the harmful effects of transposon mobilisation. In Drosophila ovaries, most piRNAs originate from dual-strand clusters, which generate piRNAs from both genomic strands. Dual-strand clusters use non-canonical transcription mechanisms. Although transcribed by RNA polymerase II, cluster transcripts lack splicing signatures and poly(A) tails. mRNA processing is important for general mRNA export mediated by Nuclear export factor 1. Although UAP56, a component of the transcription and export complex, has been implicated in piRNA precursor export, it remains unknown how dual-strand cluster transcripts are specifically targeted for piRNA biogenesis by export from the nucleus to cytoplasmic processing centers. Here we report that dual-strand cluster transcript export requires CG13741/Bootlegger and the Drosophila Nuclear export factor family protein, Nxf3. Bootlegger is specifically recruited to piRNA clusters and in turn brings Nxf3. We find that Nxf3 specifically binds to piRNA precursors and is essential for their export to piRNA biogenesis sites, a process that is critical for germline transposon silencing. Our data shed light on how dual-strand clusters compensate for a lack of canonical features of mature mRNAs to be specifically exported via Nxf3, ensuring proper piRNA production.

scholarly journals Transposon silencing in the Drosophila female germline ensures genome stability in progeny embryos

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zeljko Durdevic ◽  
Ramesh S. Pillai ◽  
Anne Ephrussi
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Egg Production ◽  
Germ Line ◽  
Selfish Genetic Elements ◽  
Dna Damage Signaling ◽  
Transposon Silencing ◽  
Transient Loss ◽  
Pirna Pathway ◽  
Female Germline

AbstractThe piRNA pathway functions in transposon control in the germ line of metazoans. The conserved RNA helicase Vasa is an essential piRNA pathway component, but has additional important developmental functions. Here we address the importance of Vasa-dependent transposon control in the Drosophila female germline and early embryos. We find that transient loss of vasa expression during early oogenesis leads to transposon up-regulation in supporting nurse cells of the fly egg-chamber. We show that elevated transposon levels have dramatic consequences, as de-repressed transposons accumulate in the oocyte where they cause DNA damage. We find that suppression of Chk2-mediated DNA damage signaling in vasa mutant females restores oogenesis and egg production. Damaged DNA and up-regulated transposons are transmitted from the mother to the embryos, which sustain severe nuclear defects and arrest development. Our findings reveal that the Vasa-dependent protection against selfish genetic elements in the nuage of nurse cell is essential to prevent DNA damage-induced arrest of embryonic development.

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