Immunoprecipitation of piRNPs and directional, next generation sequencing of piRNAs

Kc167, a widely used Drosophila cell line, contains an active primary piRNA pathway

PIWI family proteins bind to small RNAs known as PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) and play essential roles in the germline by silencing transposons and by promoting germ cell specification and function. Here we report that the widely used Kc167 cell line, derived from Drosophila melanogaster embryos, expresses piRNAs that are loaded to Aub and Piwi. Kc167 piRNAs are produced by a canonical, primary piRNA biogenesis pathway, from phased processing of precursor transcripts by the Zuc endonuclease, Armi helicase, and dGasz mitochondrial scaffold protein. Kc167 piRNAs derive from cytoplasmic transcripts, notably tRNAs and mRNAs, and their abundance correlates with that of parent transcripts. The expression of Aub is robust in Kc167, that of Piwi is modest, while Ago3 is undetectable, explaining the lack of transposon-related piRNA amplification by the Aub-Ago3, ping-pong mechanism. We propose that the default state of the primary piRNA biogenesis machinery is random transcript sampling to allow generation of piRNAs from any transcript, including newly acquired retrotransposons. This state is unmasked in Kc167, likely because they do not express piRNA cluster transcripts in sufficient amounts and do not amplify transposon piRNAs. We use Kc167 to characterize an inactive isoform of Aub protein. Since most Kc167 piRNAs are genic, they can be mapped uniquely to the genome, facilitating computational analyses. Furthermore, because Kc167 is a widely used and well-characterized cell line that is easily amenable to experimental manipulations, we expect that it will serve as an excellent system to study piRNA biogenesis and piRNA-related factors.

Sequence-dependent but not sequence-specific piRNA adhesion traps mRNAs to the germ plasm

The conserved Piwi family of proteins and piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) play a central role in genomic stability, which is inextricably tied with germ cell formation, by forming ribonucleoproteins (piRNPs) that silence transposable elements (TEs)¹. In Drosophila melanogaster and other animals, primordial germ cell (PGC) specification in the developing embryo is driven by maternal mRNAs and proteins that assemble into specialized mRNPs localized in the germ (pole) plasm at the posterior of the oocyte^2,3. Maternal piRNPs, especially those loaded on Aubergine (Aub), a Piwi protein, are transmitted to the germ plasm to initiate transposon silencing in the offspring germline^4–7. Transport of mRNAs to the oocyte by midoogenesis is an active, microtubule-dependent process⁸; mRNAs necessary for PGC formation are enriched in the germ plasm at late oogenesis via a diffusion and entrapment mechanism, whose molecular identity remains unknown^8,9. Aub is a central component of germ granule RNPs, which house mRNAs in the germ plasm^10–12 and interactions between Aub and Tudor are essential for the formation of germ granules^13–16. Here we show that Aub-loaded piRNAs use partial base pairing characteristic of Argonaute RNPs to bind mRNAs randomly, acting as an adhesive trap that captures mRNAs in the germ plasm, in a Tudor-dependent manner. Strikingly, germ plasm mRNAs in Drosophilids are generally longer and more abundant than other mRNAs, suggesting that they provide more target sites for piRNAs to promote their preferential tethering in germ granules. Thus complexes containing Tudor, Aub piRNPs and mRNAs couple piRNA inheritance with germline specification. Our findings reveal an unexpected function for Piwi ribonucleoprotein complexes in mRNA trapping that may be generally relevant to the function of animal germ granules.

Impact of age-associated increase in 2'-O-methylation of miRNAs on aging and neurodegeneration in Drosophila

miRNAs exhibit heterogeneity in length and sequence in different biological contexts. Abe et al. found that Drosophila miRNAs undergo isoform pattern changes with age, and an increase of some miRNAs reflects increased 2′-O-methylation of select isoforms. Loading of miRNAs into Ago2, but not Ago1, increased with age. Hen1 and Ago2 mutations caused accelerated neurodegeneration and shorter life span, suggesting that the age-associated increase of 2′-O-methylation of miRNAs affects age-associated processes.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 20- to ∼24-nucleotide (nt) small RNAs that impact a variety of biological processes, from development to age-associated events. To study the role of miRNAs in aging, studies have profiled the levels of miRNAs with time. However, evidence suggests that miRNAs show heterogeneity in length and sequence in different biological contexts. Here, by examining the expression pattern of miRNAs by Northern blot analysis, we found that Drosophila miRNAs show distinct isoform pattern changes with age. Surprisingly, an increase of some miRNAs reflects increased 2′-O-methylation of select isoforms. Small RNA deep sequencing revealed a global increase of miRNAs loaded into Ago2, but not into Ago1, with age. Our data suggest increased loading of miRNAs into Ago2, but not Ago1, with age, indicating a mechanism for differential loading of miRNAs with age between Ago1 and Ago2. Mutations in Hen1 and Ago2, which lack 2′-O-methylation of miRNAs, result in accelerated neurodegeneration and shorter life span, suggesting a potential impact of the age-associated increase of 2′-O-methylation of small RNAs on age-associated processes. Our study highlights that miRNA 2′-O-methylation at the 3′ end is modulated by differential partitioning of miRNAs between Ago1 and Ago2 with age and that this process, along with other functions of Ago2, might impact age-associated events in Drosophila.

Evolution of animal Piwi-interacting RNAs and prokaryotic CRISPRs

Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) and CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs) are two recently discovered classes of small noncoding RNA that are found in animals and prokaryotes, respectively. Both of these novel RNA species function as components of adaptive immune systems that protect their hosts from foreign nucleic acids-piRNAs repress transposable elements in animal germlines, whereas crRNAs protect their bacterial hosts from phage and plasmids. The piRNA and CRISPR systems are nonhomologous but rather have independently evolved into logically similar defense mechanisms based on the specificity of targeting via nucleic acid base complementarity. Here we review what is known about the piRNA and CRISPR systems with a focus on comparing their evolutionary properties. In particular, we highlight the importance of several factors on the pattern of piRNA and CRISPR evolution, including the population genetic environment, the role of alternate defense systems and the mechanisms of acquisition of new piRNAs and CRISPRs.

PRMT5 and the role of symmetrical dimethylarginine in chromatoid bodies of planarian stem cells

Planarian flatworms contain a population of adult stem cells (neoblasts) that proliferate and generate cells of all tissues during growth, regeneration and tissue homeostasis. A characteristic feature of neoblasts is the presence of chromatoid bodies, large cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granules morphologically similar to structures present in the germline of many organisms. This study aims to reveal the function, and identify additional components, of planarian chromatoid bodies. We uncover the presence of symmetrical dimethylarginine (sDMA) on chromatoid body components and identify the ortholog of protein arginine methyltransferase PRMT5 as the enzyme responsible for sDMA modification in these proteins. RNA interference-mediated depletion of planarian PRMT5 results in defects in homeostasis and regeneration, reduced animal size, reduced number of neoblasts, fewer chromatoid bodies and increased levels of transposon and repetitive-element transcripts. Our results suggest that PIWI family member SMEDWI-3 is one sDMA-containing chromatoid body protein for which methylation depends on PRMT5. Additionally, we discover an RNA localized to chromatoid bodies, germinal histone H4. Our results reveal new components of chromatoid bodies and their function in planarian stem cells, and also support emerging studies indicative of sDMA function in stabilization of RNP granules and the Piwi-interacting RNA pathway.