piRNA Production Requires Heterochromatin Formation in Drosophila

• Published in: Current biology Vol. 21; no. 16; pp. 1373 - 1379
• Main Authors: Rangan, Prashanth, Malone, Colin D., Navarro, Caryn, Newbold, Sam P., Hayes, Patrick S., Sachidanandam, Ravi, Hannon, Gregory J., Lehmann, Ruth
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Inc 23.08.2011
• Subjects: Animals; biogenesis; biosynthesis; cell differentiation; Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly; cytology; Differentiation; DNA Transposable Elements; Drosophila; Drosophila melanogaster; Drosophila melanogaster - cytology; Drosophila melanogaster - genetics; Drosophila melanogaster - metabolism; eggs; Gene Expression Regulation; Gene regulation; genetics; genome; Genomes; germ cells; Heterochromatin; Heterochromatin - metabolism; Histones; loci; Lysine; metabolism; Methyltransferase; Molecular Sequence Data; RNA; RNA, Small Interfering; RNA, Small Interfering - biosynthesis; RNA, Small Interfering - genetics; Stem cells; Transcription; transcription (genetics); Transcription, Genetic; Transposons

Protecting the genome from transposable element (TE) mobilization is critical for germline development. In Drosophila, Piwi proteins and their bound small RNAs (piRNAs) provide a potent defense against TE activity. TE targeting piRNAs are processed from TE-dense heterochromatic loci termed piRNA clu...