1
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Mohamed FS, Jalal D, Fadel YM, El-Mashtoly SF, Khaled WZ, Sayed AA, Ghazy MA. Characterization and comparative profiling of piRNAs in serum biopsies of pediatric Wilms tumor patients. Cancer Cell Int 2025; 25:163. [PMID: 40287690 PMCID: PMC12034122 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-025-03780-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2025] [Accepted: 04/03/2025] [Indexed: 04/29/2025] Open
Abstract
Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs involved in transposon silencing and linked to cancer progression. However, their role in Wilms tumors (WT) remains unexplored. We conducted a thorough analysis and characterization of piRNAs in serum liquid biopsies of WT patients. Our study examined their expression patterns and functional annotations related to WT pathogenesis, as well as their clinical potential for diagnosis and monitoring. We identified 307 piRNAs expressed in WT serum samples, with 4% classified as repeat-related and 96% as non-repeat-related. The most abundant repeat-related piRNAs originated from LINEs retrotransposon, while tRNA-derived piRNAs were the most prevalent among non-repeat-related piRNAs. Furthermore, a distinct profile of 34 piRNAs showed significant differential expression in WT patients compared to healthy controls-22 downregulated and 12 upregulated. The target genes of differentially expressed piRNAs exhibited significant enrichment in biological pathways related to cytokine activity, inflammatory responses, TGF-beta signaling, p38 MAPK, and ErbB signaling. These genes are also involved in DNA damage response, DNA methylation, cell cycle regulation, as well as kidney development and function. Low expression levels of several piRNAs, especially piR-hsa-1,913,711, piR-hsa-28,190, piR-hsa-28,849, piR-hsa-28,848, and piR-hsa-28,318, showed significant diagnostic potential as non-invasive biomarkers for WT (AUC > 0.8, p < 0.05). Their expression levels also significantly correlated with adverse pathological features, including metastasis, anaplasia, and bilateral WT development. In conclusion, non-transposon-related piRNAs may serve as reliable biomarkers for WT and possess potential non-germline functions, particularly in regulating DNA methylation, cell growth, immune responses, and immune responses. Further studies are warranted to elucidate their functional significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatma S Mohamed
- Biotechnology Program, Institute of Basic and Applied Science Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology, New Borg El-Arab City, Alexandria, Egypt
- Biochemistry ProgramFaculty of Science, Minia University, El-Minia, Egypt
| | - Deena Jalal
- Genomics and Metagenomics Program, Department of Basic Research, Children's Cancer Hospital Egypt, Cairo, 57357, Egypt
| | - Youssef M Fadel
- Genomics and Metagenomics Program, Department of Basic Research, Children's Cancer Hospital Egypt, Cairo, 57357, Egypt
- Bioinformatics Group, Center for Informatics Science, School of Information Technology and Computer Science, Nile University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Samir F El-Mashtoly
- Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology, Albert Einstein-Straße 9, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Wael Z Khaled
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Cairo, Egypt
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Children's Cancer Hospital Egypt, Cairo, 57357, Egypt
- Consultant Pediatric Oncology, Mouwasat Hospital, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed A Sayed
- Genomics and Metagenomics Program, Department of Basic Research, Children's Cancer Hospital Egypt, Cairo, 57357, Egypt.
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Mohamed A Ghazy
- Biotechnology Program, Institute of Basic and Applied Science Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology, New Borg El-Arab City, Alexandria, Egypt
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
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2
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Ahrend F, Konstantinidou P, Loubalova Z, Wang Y, Lorenzi H, Meister G, Haase AD. Protocol for assembling, prioritizing, and characterizing piRNA clusters using the piRNA Cluster Builder. STAR Protoc 2025; 6:103759. [PMID: 40220304 PMCID: PMC12023778 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2025.103759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2024] [Revised: 02/19/2025] [Accepted: 03/19/2025] [Indexed: 04/14/2025] Open
Abstract
PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) play a critical role in safeguarding genome integrity in germ cells, ensuring fertility. Here, we provide a protocol for processing piRNA sequencing data, identifying piRNA-rich genomic regions as piRNA clusters, and preparing these clusters for downstream analyses. We describe steps for assembling piRNA cluster regions using an R-based tool, the piRNA Cluster Builder (PICB), which integrates unique and multimapping piRNA reads stepwise. The protocol allows for parameter optimizations and generates normalized outputs for prioritization of piRNA clusters. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Konstantinidou et al.1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Ahrend
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Regensburg Center for Biochemistry (RCB), Laboratory for RNA Biology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Parthena Konstantinidou
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Zuzana Loubalova
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yuejun Wang
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; The TriLab Bioinformatics Group, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Hernan Lorenzi
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; The TriLab Bioinformatics Group, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Gunter Meister
- Regensburg Center for Biochemistry (RCB), Laboratory for RNA Biology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Astrid D Haase
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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3
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Yu J, Kawasaki F, Izumi N, Kiuchi T, Katsuma S, Tomari Y, Shoji K. Autonomous shaping of the piRNA sequence repertoire by competition between adjacent ping-pong amplification sites. Mol Cell 2025; 85:1134-1146.e4. [PMID: 40118041 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2025.02.015] [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] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 12/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2025] [Indexed: 03/23/2025]
Abstract
PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are crucial for silencing transposable elements (TEs). In many species, piRNAs are generated via a complex process known as the ping-pong pathway, coupling TE cleavage with piRNA amplification. However, the biological significance of this complexity remains unclear. Here, we systematically compared piRNA profiles in two related silkworm cell lines and found significant changes in their sequence repertoire. Importantly, the changeability of this repertoire negatively correlated with the piRNA biogenesis efficiency, a trend also observed in Drosophila stocks and single silkworm eggs. This can be explained by competition between adjacent ping-pong sites, supported by our mathematical modeling. Moreover, this competition can rationalize how piRNAs autonomously avoid deleterious mismatches to target TEs in silkworms, flies, and mice. These findings unveil the intrinsic plasticity and adaptability of the piRNA system to combat diverse TE sequences and highlight the universal power of competition and self-amplification to drive autonomous optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Yu
- Laboratory of RNA Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Fumiko Kawasaki
- Laboratory of RNA Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Natsuko Izumi
- Laboratory of RNA Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Takashi Kiuchi
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Biology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Yayoi 1-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Susumu Katsuma
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Biology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Yayoi 1-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yukihide Tomari
- Laboratory of RNA Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan; Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan.
| | - Keisuke Shoji
- Laboratory of RNA Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan; Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan; Graduate school of Bio-Applications and Systems Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei-shi, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan.
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4
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Verdonckt TW, Swevers L, Santos D. A model that integrates the different piRNA biogenesis pathways based on studies in silkworm BmN4 cells. CURRENT RESEARCH IN INSECT SCIENCE 2025; 7:100108. [PMID: 40083348 PMCID: PMC11904557 DOI: 10.1016/j.cris.2025.100108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2024] [Revised: 02/04/2025] [Accepted: 02/05/2025] [Indexed: 03/16/2025]
Abstract
PIWI-interacting (pi) RNAs play an essential role in protecting the genomic integrity of germ cells from the disruptive transpositions of selfish genetic elements. One of the most important model systems for studying piRNA biogenesis is the ovary derived BmN4 cell line of the silkworm Bombyx mori. In recent years, many steps and components of the pathways involved in this process have been unraveled. However, a holistic description of piRNA biogenesis in BmN4 cells is still unavailable. In this paper, we review the state of the art and propose a novel model for piRNA biogenesis in BmN4 cells. This model was built considering the latest published data and will empower researchers to plan future experiments and interpret experimental results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas-Wolf Verdonckt
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction Research Group, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Division, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59 box 2465, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luc Swevers
- Insect Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Biosciences & Applications, National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, Aghia Paraskevi, 15341 Athens, Greece
| | - Dulce Santos
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction Research Group, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Division, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59 box 2465, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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5
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Almeida MV, Blumer M, Yuan CU, Sierra P, Price JL, Quah FX, Friman A, Dallaire A, Vernaz G, Putman ALK, Smith AM, Joyce DA, Butter F, Haase AD, Durbin R, Santos ME, Miska EA. Dynamic co-evolution of transposable elements and the piRNA pathway in African cichlid fishes. Genome Biol 2025; 26:14. [PMID: 39844208 PMCID: PMC11753138 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-025-03475-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/06/2025] [Indexed: 01/24/2025] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND East African cichlid fishes have diversified in an explosive fashion, but the (epi)genetic basis of the phenotypic diversity of these fishes remains largely unknown. Although transposable elements (TEs) have been associated with phenotypic variation in cichlids, little is known about their transcriptional activity and epigenetic silencing. We set out to bridge this gap and to understand the interactions between TEs and their cichlid hosts. RESULTS Here, we describe dynamic patterns of TE expression in African cichlid gonads and during early development. Orthology inference revealed strong conservation of TE silencing factors in cichlids, and an expansion of piwil1 genes in Lake Malawi cichlids, likely driven by PiggyBac TEs. The expanded piwil1 copies have signatures of positive selection and retain amino acid residues essential for catalytic activity. Furthermore, the gonads of African cichlids express a Piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway that targets TEs. We define the genomic sites of piRNA production in African cichlids and find divergence in closely related species, in line with fast evolution of piRNA-producing loci. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest dynamic co-evolution of TEs and host silencing pathways in the African cichlid radiations. We propose that this co-evolution has contributed to cichlid genomic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Vasconcelos Almeida
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK.
- Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK.
| | - Moritz Blumer
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Chengwei Ulrika Yuan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
- Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Pío Sierra
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Jonathan L Price
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
- Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Fu Xiang Quah
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Aleksandr Friman
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Biophysics Graduate Program, Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742, USA
| | - Alexandra Dallaire
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
- Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
- Comparative Fungal Biology, Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond, TW9 3DS, UK
| | - Grégoire Vernaz
- Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
- Present Address: Zoological Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, Basel, 4051, Switzerland
| | - Audrey L K Putman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
- Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Alan M Smith
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK
| | - Domino A Joyce
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK
| | - Falk Butter
- Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), Quantitative Proteomics, Ackermannweg 4, Mainz, 55128, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Südufer, Greifswald, 17493, Germany
| | - Astrid D Haase
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Richard Durbin
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Tree of Life, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - M Emília Santos
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Eric A Miska
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK.
- Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK.
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Tree of Life, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK.
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6
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Yamashita T, Komenda K, Miłodrowski R, Robak D, Szrajer S, Gaczorek T, Ylla G. Non-gonadal expression of piRNAs is widespread across Arthropoda. FEBS Lett 2025; 599:3-18. [PMID: 39358781 PMCID: PMC11726155 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.15023] [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: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 08/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 10/04/2024]
Abstract
PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) were discovered in the early 2000s and became known for their role in protecting the germline genome against mobile genetic elements. Successively, piRNAs were also detected in the somatic cells of gonads in multiple animal species. In recent years, piRNAs have been reported in non-gonadal tissues in various arthropods, contrary to the initial assumptions of piRNAs being exclusive to gonads. Here, we performed an extensive literature review, which revealed that reports on non-gonadal somatic piRNA expression are not limited to a few specific species. Instead, when multiple studies are considered collectively, it appears to be a widespread phenomenon across arthropods. Furthermore, we systematically analyzed 168 publicly available small RNA-seq datasets from diverse tissues in 17 species, which further supported the bibliographic reports that piRNAs are expressed across tissues and species in Arthropoda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahisa Yamashita
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and BiotechnologyJagiellonian UniversityKrakowPoland
| | - Krystian Komenda
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and BiotechnologyJagiellonian UniversityKrakowPoland
- Doctoral School of Exact and Natural SciencesJagiellonian UniversityKrakowPoland
| | - Rafał Miłodrowski
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and BiotechnologyJagiellonian UniversityKrakowPoland
- Doctoral School of Exact and Natural SciencesJagiellonian UniversityKrakowPoland
| | - Dominik Robak
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and BiotechnologyJagiellonian UniversityKrakowPoland
| | - Szymon Szrajer
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and BiotechnologyJagiellonian UniversityKrakowPoland
| | - Tomasz Gaczorek
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and BiotechnologyJagiellonian UniversityKrakowPoland
| | - Guillem Ylla
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and BiotechnologyJagiellonian UniversityKrakowPoland
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7
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Koga Y, Hirakata S, Negishi M, Yamazaki H, Fujisawa T, Siomi MC. Dipteran-specific Daedalus controls Zucchini endonucleolysis in piRNA biogenesis independent of exonucleases. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114923. [PMID: 39487988 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114923] [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] [Received: 06/24/2024] [Revised: 09/17/2024] [Accepted: 10/14/2024] [Indexed: 11/04/2024] Open
Abstract
PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) protect germline genomes and maintain fertility by repressing transposons. Daedalus and Gasz act together as a mitochondrial scaffold for Armitage, a necessary factor for Zucchini-dependent piRNA processing. However, the mechanism underlying this function remains unclear. Here, we find that the roles of Daedalus and Gasz in this process are distinct, although both are necessary: Daedalus physically interacts with Armitage, whereas Gasz supports Daedalus to maintain its function. Daedalus binds to Armitage through two distinct regions, an extended coiled coil identified in this study and a sterile α motif (SAM). The former tethers Armitage to mitochondria, while the latter controls Zucchini endonucleolysis to define the length of piRNAs in an exonuclease-independent manner. piRNAs produced in the absence of the Daedalus SAM do not exhibit full transposon silencing functionality. Daedalus is Dipteran specific. Unlike Drosophila and mosquitoes, other species, such as mice, rely on exonucleases after Zucchini processing to specify the length of piRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuica Koga
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Shigeki Hirakata
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Mayu Negishi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Hiroya Yamazaki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Fujisawa
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Mikiko C Siomi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan.
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8
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Haase AD, Ketting RF, Lai EC, van Rij RP, Siomi M, Svoboda P, van Wolfswinkel JC, Wu PH. PIWI-interacting RNAs: who, what, when, where, why, and how. EMBO J 2024; 43:5335-5339. [PMID: 39327528 PMCID: PMC11574264 DOI: 10.1038/s44318-024-00253-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 09/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024] Open
Abstract
This commentary highlights, from an interdisciplinary perspective, recent advances and key outstanding questions in the field of piRNA biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid D Haase
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Rene F Ketting
- Biology of Non-coding RNA Group, Institute of Molecular Biology, Mainz, Germany
| | - Eric C Lai
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, USA
| | - Ronald P van Rij
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Mikiko Siomi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Petr Svoboda
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Pei-Hsuan Wu
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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9
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Konstantinidou P, Loubalova Z, Ahrend F, Friman A, Almeida MV, Poulet A, Horvat F, Wang Y, Losert W, Lorenzi H, Svoboda P, Miska EA, van Wolfswinkel JC, Haase AD. A comparative roadmap of PIWI-interacting RNAs across seven species reveals insights into de novo piRNA-precursor formation in mammals. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114777. [PMID: 39302833 PMCID: PMC11615739 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114777] [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: 05/02/2024] [Revised: 08/09/2024] [Accepted: 09/04/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024] Open
Abstract
PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) play a crucial role in safeguarding genome integrity by silencing mobile genetic elements. From flies to humans, piRNAs originate from long single-stranded precursors encoded by genomic piRNA clusters. How piRNA clusters form to adapt to genomic invaders and evolve to maintain protection remain key outstanding questions. Here, we generate a roadmap of piRNA clusters across seven species that highlights both similarities and variations. In mammals, we identify transcriptional readthrough as a mechanism to generate piRNAs from transposon insertions (piCs) downstream of genes (DoG). Together with the well-known stress-dependent DoG transcripts, our findings suggest a molecular mechanism for the formation of piRNA clusters in response to retroviral invasion. Finally, we identify a class of dynamic piRNA clusters in humans, underscoring unique features of human germ cell biology. Our results advance the understanding of conserved principles and species-specific variations in piRNA biology and provide tools for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parthena Konstantinidou
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Zuzana Loubalova
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Franziska Ahrend
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, US Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Aleksandr Friman
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Biophysics Graduate Program, Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Miguel Vasconcelos Almeida
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK; Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Axel Poulet
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Center for RNA Science and Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Filip Horvat
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic; Bioinformatics Group, Division of Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Yuejun Wang
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, US Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, TN, USA; TriLab Bioinformatics Group, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Wolfgang Losert
- Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Hernan Lorenzi
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; TriLab Bioinformatics Group, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Petr Svoboda
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Eric A Miska
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK; Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Josien C van Wolfswinkel
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Center for RNA Science and Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Astrid D Haase
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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10
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Almeida MV, Blumer M, Yuan CU, Sierra P, Price JL, Quah FX, Friman A, Dallaire A, Vernaz G, Putman ALK, Smith AM, Joyce DA, Butter F, Haase AD, Durbin R, Santos ME, Miska EA. Dynamic co-evolution of transposable elements and the piRNA pathway in African cichlid fishes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.01.587621. [PMID: 38617250 PMCID: PMC11014572 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.01.587621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
East African cichlid fishes have diversified in an explosive fashion, but the (epi)genetic basis of the phenotypic diversity of these fishes remains largely unknown. Although transposable elements (TEs) have been associated with phenotypic variation in cichlids, little is known about their transcriptional activity and epigenetic silencing. Here, we describe dynamic patterns of TE expression in African cichlid gonads and during early development. Orthology inference revealed an expansion of piwil1 genes in Lake Malawi cichlids, likely driven by PiggyBac TEs. The expanded piwil1 copies have signatures of positive selection and retain amino acid residues essential for catalytic activity. Furthermore, the gonads of African cichlids express a Piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway that target TEs. We define the genomic sites of piRNA production in African cichlids and find divergence in closely related species, in line with fast evolution of piRNA-producing loci. Our findings suggest dynamic co-evolution of TEs and host silencing pathways in the African cichlid radiations. We propose that this co-evolution has contributed to cichlid genomic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Vasconcelos Almeida
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
- Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Moritz Blumer
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Chengwei Ulrika Yuan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
- Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Pío Sierra
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Jonathan L. Price
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
- Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Fu Xiang Quah
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Aleksandr Friman
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Biophysics Graduate Program, Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Alexandra Dallaire
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
- Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
- Comparative Fungal Biology, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Jodrell Laboratory, Richmond TW9 3DS, UK
| | - Grégoire Vernaz
- Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
- Present address: Zoological Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, Basel, 4051, Switzerland
| | - Audrey L. K. Putman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
- Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Alan M. Smith
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK
| | - Domino A. Joyce
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK
| | - Falk Butter
- Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), Quantitative Proteomics, Ackermannweg 4, Mainz, 55128, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Südufer, Greifswald, 17493, Germany
| | - Astrid D. Haase
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Richard Durbin
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Tree of Life, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - M. Emília Santos
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Eric A. Miska
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
- Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Tree of Life, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK
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11
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Bence M, Jankovics F, Kristó I, Gyetvai Á, Vértessy BG, Erdélyi M. Direct interaction of Su(var)2-10 via the SIM-binding site of the Piwi protein is required for transposon silencing in Drosophila melanogaster. FEBS J 2024; 291:1759-1779. [PMID: 38308815 DOI: 10.1111/febs.17073] [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: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Nuclear Piwi/Piwi-interacting RNA complexes mediate co-transcriptional silencing of transposable elements by inducing local heterochromatin formation. In Drosophila, sumoylation plays an essential role in the assembly of the silencing complex; however, the molecular mechanism by which the sumoylation machinery is recruited to the transposon loci is poorly understood. Here, we show that the Drosophila E3 SUMO-ligase Su(var)2-10 directly binds to the Piwi protein. This interaction is mediated by the SUMO-interacting motif-like (SIM-like) structure in the C-terminal domain of Su(var)2-10. We demonstrated that the SIM-like structure binds to a special region found in the MID domain of the Piwi protein, the structure of which is highly similar to the SIM-binding pocket of SUMO proteins. Abrogation of the Su(var)2-10-binding surface of the Piwi protein resulted in transposon derepression in the ovary of adult flies. Based on our results, we propose a model in which the Piwi protein initiates local sumoylation in the silencing complex by recruiting Su(var)2-10 to the transposon loci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melinda Bence
- Institute of Genetics, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ferenc Jankovics
- Institute of Genetics, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ildikó Kristó
- Institute of Genetics, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ákos Gyetvai
- Institute of Genetics, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Beáta G Vértessy
- Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary
- Institute of Enzymology, HUN-REN Research Centre of Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Miklós Erdélyi
- Institute of Genetics, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
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12
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Shi Y, Zhen X, Zhang Y, Li Y, Koo S, Saiding Q, Kong N, Liu G, Chen W, Tao W. Chemically Modified Platforms for Better RNA Therapeutics. Chem Rev 2024; 124:929-1033. [PMID: 38284616 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
RNA-based therapies have catalyzed a revolutionary transformation in the biomedical landscape, offering unprecedented potential in disease prevention and treatment. However, despite their remarkable achievements, these therapies encounter substantial challenges including low stability, susceptibility to degradation by nucleases, and a prominent negative charge, thereby hindering further development. Chemically modified platforms have emerged as a strategic innovation, focusing on precise alterations either on the RNA moieties or their associated delivery vectors. This comprehensive review delves into these platforms, underscoring their significance in augmenting the performance and translational prospects of RNA-based therapeutics. It encompasses an in-depth analysis of various chemically modified delivery platforms that have been instrumental in propelling RNA therapeutics toward clinical utility. Moreover, the review scrutinizes the rationale behind diverse chemical modification techniques aiming at optimizing the therapeutic efficacy of RNA molecules, thereby facilitating robust disease management. Recent empirical studies corroborating the efficacy enhancement of RNA therapeutics through chemical modifications are highlighted. Conclusively, we offer profound insights into the transformative impact of chemical modifications on RNA drugs and delineates prospective trajectories for their future development and clinical integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yesi Shi
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Xueyan Zhen
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Yiming Zhang
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Yongjiang Li
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Seyoung Koo
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Qimanguli Saiding
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Na Kong
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Gang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Wei Tao
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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13
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Loubalova Z, Konstantinidou P, Haase AD. Themes and variations on piRNA-guided transposon control. Mob DNA 2023; 14:10. [PMID: 37660099 PMCID: PMC10474768 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-023-00298-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023] Open
Abstract
PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are responsible for preventing the movement of transposable elements in germ cells and protect the integrity of germline genomes. In this review, we examine the common elements of piRNA-guided silencing as well as the differences observed between species. We have categorized the mechanisms of piRNA biogenesis and function into modules. Individual PIWI proteins combine these modules in various ways to produce unique PIWI-piRNA pathways, which nevertheless possess the ability to perform conserved functions. This modular model incorporates conserved core mechanisms and accommodates variable co-factors. Adaptability is a hallmark of this RNA-based immune system. We believe that considering the differences in germ cell biology and resident transposons in different organisms is essential for placing the variations observed in piRNA biology into context, while still highlighting the conserved themes that underpin this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzana Loubalova
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Parthena Konstantinidou
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Astrid D Haase
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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14
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van Wolfswinkel JC. Insights in piRNA targeting rules. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2023; 15:e1811. [PMID: 37632327 PMCID: PMC10895071 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) play an important role in the defense against transposons in the germline and stem cells of animals. To what extent other transcripts are also regulated by piRNAs is an ongoing topic of debate. The amount of sequence complementarity between piRNA and target that is required for effective downregulation of the targeted transcript is guiding in this discussion. Over the years, various methods have been applied to infer targeting requirements from the collections of piRNAs and potential target transcripts, and recent structural studies of the PIWI proteins have provided an additional perspective. In this review, I summarize the findings from these studies and propose a set of requirements that can be used to predict targets to the best of our current abilities. This article is categorized under: Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches > Regulatory RNAs RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein-RNA Interactions: Functional Implications RNA-Based Catalysis > RNA-Mediated Cleavage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josien C van Wolfswinkel
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Center for Stem Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Center for RNA Biology and Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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15
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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: 0.5] [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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16
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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: 3.0] [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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17
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Wang X, Ramat A, Simonelig M, Liu MF. Emerging roles and functional mechanisms of PIWI-interacting RNAs. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2023; 24:123-141. [PMID: 36104626 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-022-00528-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 63.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that associate with proteins of the PIWI clade of the Argonaute family. First identified in animal germ line cells, piRNAs have essential roles in germ line development. The first function of PIWI-piRNA complexes to be described was the silencing of transposable elements, which is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the germ line genome. Later studies provided new insights into the functions of PIWI-piRNA complexes by demonstrating that they regulate protein-coding genes. Recent studies of piRNA biology, including in new model organisms such as golden hamsters, have deepened our understanding of both piRNA biogenesis and piRNA function. In this Review, we discuss the most recent advances in our understanding of piRNA biogenesis, the molecular mechanisms of piRNA function and the emerging roles of piRNAs in germ line development mainly in flies and mice, and in infertility, cancer and neurological diseases in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Systems Health Science of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Anne Ramat
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Martine Simonelig
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France.
| | - Mo-Fang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China. .,Key Laboratory of Systems Health Science of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China. .,School of Life Science and Technology, Shanghai Tech University, Shanghai, China.
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18
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Liu W, Shoji K, Naganuma M, Tomari Y, Iwakawa HO. The mechanisms of siRNA selection by plant Argonaute proteins triggering DNA methylation. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:12997-13010. [PMID: 36477368 PMCID: PMC9825178 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac1135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The model plant Arabidopsis thaliana encodes as many as ten Argonaute proteins (AGO1-10) with different functions. Each AGO selectively loads a set of small RNAs by recognizing their length and 5' nucleotide identity to properly regulate target genes. Previous studies showed that AGO4 and AGO6, key factors in DNA methylation, incorporate 24-nt small-interfering RNAs with 5' adenine (24A siRNAs). However, it has been unclear how these AGOs specifically load 24A siRNAs. Here, we biochemically investigated the siRNA preference of AGO4, AGO6 and their chimeric mutants. We found that AGO4 and AGO6 use distinct mechanisms to preferentially load 24A siRNAs. Moreover, we showed that the 5' A specificity of AGO4 and AGO6 is not determined by the previously known nucleotide specificity loop in the MID domain but rather by the coordination of the MID and PIWI domains. These findings advance our mechanistic understanding of how small RNAs are accurately sorted into different AGO proteins in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Liu
- Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Keisuke Shoji
- Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Masahiro Naganuma
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Yukihide Tomari
- Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Hiro-oki Iwakawa
- Department of Life Science, College of Science, Rikkyo University, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8501, Japan
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19
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Harvey-Samuel T, Xu X, Anderson MAE, Carabajal Paladino LZ, Purusothaman D, Norman VC, Reitmayer CM, You M, Alphey L. Silencing RNAs expressed from W-linked PxyMasc "retrocopies" target that gene during female sex determination in Plutella xylostella. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2206025119. [PMID: 36343250 PMCID: PMC9674220 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2206025119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The Lepidoptera are an insect order of cultural, economic, and environmental importance, representing ∼10% of all described living species. Yet, for all but one of these species (silkmoth, Bombyx mori), the molecular genetics of how sexual fate is determined remains unknown. We investigated this in the diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella), a globally important, highly invasive, and economically damaging pest of cruciferous crops. Our previous work uncovered a regulator of male sex determination in P. xylostella-PxyMasc, a homolog of B. mori Masculinizer-which, although initially expressed in embryos of both sexes, is then reduced in female embryos, leading to female-specific splicing of doublesex. Here, through sequencing small RNA libraries generated from early embryos and sexed larval pools, we identified a variety of small silencing RNAs (predominantly Piwi-interacting RNAs [piRNAs]) complementary to PxyMasc, whose temporal expression correlated with the reduction in PxyMasc transcript observed previously in females. Analysis of these small RNAs showed that they are expressed from tandemly arranged, multicopy arrays found exclusively on the W (female-specific) chromosome, which we term "Pxyfem". Analysis of the Pxyfem sequences showed that they are partial complementary DNAs (cDNAs) of PxyMasc messenger RNA (mRNA) transcripts, likely integrated into transposable element graveyards by the noncanonical action of retrotransposons (retrocopies), and that their apparent similarity to B. mori feminizer more probably represents convergent evolution. Our study helps elucidate the sex determination cascade in this globally important pest and highlights the "shortcuts" that retrotransposition events can facilitate in the evolution of complex molecular cascades, including sex determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Harvey-Samuel
- Arthropod Genetics Group, The Pirbright Institute, Woking, Pirbright GU24 0NF, United Kingdom
| | - Xuejiao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | | | | | - Deepak Purusothaman
- Arthropod Genetics Group, The Pirbright Institute, Woking, Pirbright GU24 0NF, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria. C. Norman
- Arthropod Genetics Group, The Pirbright Institute, Woking, Pirbright GU24 0NF, United Kingdom
| | - Christine. M. Reitmayer
- Arthropod Genetics Group, The Pirbright Institute, Woking, Pirbright GU24 0NF, United Kingdom
| | - Minsheng You
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Luke Alphey
- Arthropod Genetics Group, The Pirbright Institute, Woking, Pirbright GU24 0NF, United Kingdom
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20
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Yoshida T, Latt KZ, Rosenberg AZ, Shrivastav S, Heymann J, Halushka MK, Winkler CA, Kopp JB. Transcriptomic Analysis of Human Podocytes In Vitro: Effects of Differentiation and APOL1 Genotype. Kidney Int Rep 2022; 8:164-178. [PMID: 36644347 PMCID: PMC9831945 DOI: 10.1016/j.ekir.2022.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The mechanisms in podocytes that mediate the pathologic effects of the APOL1 high-risk (HR) variants remain incompletely understood, although various molecular and cellular mechanisms have been proposed. We previously established conditionally immortalized human urine-derived podocyte-like epithelial cell (HUPEC) lines to investigate APOL1 HR variant-induced podocytopathy. Methods We conducted comprehensive transcriptomic analysis, including mRNA, microRNA (miRNA), and transfer RNA fragments (tRFs), to characterize the transcriptional profiles in undifferentiated and differentiated HUPEC with APOL1 HR (G1/G2, 2 cell lines) and APOL1 low-risk (LR) (G0/G0, 2 cell lines) genotypes. We reanalyzed single-cell RNA-seq data from urinary podocytes from focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) subjects to characterize the effect of APOL1 genotypes on podocyte transcriptomes. Results Differential expression analysis showed that the ribosomal pathway was one of the most enriched pathways, suggesting that altered function of the translation initiation machinery may contribute to APOL1 variant-induced podocyte injury. Expression of genes related to the elongation initiation factor 2 pathway was also enriched in the APOL1 HR urinary podocytes from single-cell RNA-seq, supporting a prior report on the role of this pathway in APOL1-associated cell injury. Expression of microRNA and tRFs were analyzed, and the profile of small RNAs differed by both differentiation status and APOL1 genotype. Conclusion We have profiled the transcriptomic landscape of human podocytes, including mRNA, miRNA, and tRF, to characterize the effects of differentiation and of different APOL1 genotypes. The candidate pathways, miRNAs, and tRFs described here expand understanding of APOL1-associated podocytopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teruhiko Yoshida
- Kidney Disease Section, Kidney Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA,Correspondence: Teruhiko Yoshida, Kidney Disease Section, Kidney Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, 3N104, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1268, USA.
| | - Khun Zaw Latt
- Kidney Disease Section, Kidney Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Avi Z. Rosenberg
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Shashi Shrivastav
- Kidney Disease Section, Kidney Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jurgen Heymann
- Kidney Disease Section, Kidney Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Marc K. Halushka
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Cheryl A. Winkler
- Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Jeffrey B. Kopp
- Kidney Disease Section, Kidney Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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21
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Unraveling mitochondrial piRNAs in mouse embryonic gonadal cells. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10730. [PMID: 35750721 PMCID: PMC9232517 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14414-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Although mitochondria are widely studied organelles, the recent interest in the role of mitochondrial small noncoding RNAs (sncRNAs), miRNAs, and more recently, piRNAs, is providing new functional perspectives in germ cell development and differentiation. piRNAs (PIWI-interacting RNAs) are single-stranded sncRNAs of mostly about 20-35 nucleotides, generated from the processing of pre-piRNAs. We leverage next-generation sequencing data obtained from mouse primordial germ cells and somatic cells purified from early-differentiating embryonic ovaries and testis from 11.5 to 13.5 days postcoitum. Using bioinformatic tools, we elucidate (i) the origins of piRNAs as transcribed from mitochondrial DNA fragments inserted in the nucleus or from the mitochondrial genome; (ii) their levels of expression; and (iii) their potential roles, as well as their association with genomic regions encoding other sncRNAs (such as tRNAs and rRNAs) and the mitochondrial regulatory region (D-loop). Finally, our results suggest how nucleo-mitochondrial communication, both anterograde and retrograde signaling, may be mediated by mitochondria-associated piRNAs.
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22
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Stoyko D, Genzor P, Haase AD. Hierarchical length and sequence preferences establish a single major piRNA 3'-end. iScience 2022; 25:104427. [PMID: 35669519 PMCID: PMC9162947 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) guard germline genomes against the deleterious action of mobile genetic elements. PiRNAs use extensive base-pairing to recognize their targets and variable 3'ends could change the specificity and efficacy of piRNA silencing. Here, we identify conserved rules that ensure the generation of a single major piRNA 3'end in flies and mice. Our data suggest that the PIWI proteins initially define a short interval on pre-piRNAs that grants access to the ZUC-processor complex. Within this Goldilocks zone, the preference to cut in front of Uridine determines the ultimate processing site. We observe a mouse-specific roadblock that relocates the Goldilocks zone and generates an opportunity for consecutive trimming. Our data reveal a conserved hierarchy between length and sequence preferences that controls the piRNA sequence space. The unanticipated precision of 3'end formation bolsters the emerging understanding that the functional piRNA sequence space is tightly controlled to ensure effective defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Stoyko
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Pavol Genzor
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Astrid D Haase
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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23
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Meng Q, Stoyko D, Andrews CM, Konstantinidou P, Genzor P, O T, Elchert AR, Benner L, Sobti S, Katz EY, Haase AD. Functional editing of endogenous genes through rapid selection of cell pools (Rapid generation of endogenously tagged genes in Drosophila ovarian somatic sheath cells). Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:e90. [PMID: 35639929 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The combination of genome-editing and epitope tagging provides a powerful strategy to study proteins with high affinity and specificity while preserving their physiological expression patterns. However, stably modifying endogenous genes in cells that do not allow for clonal selection has been challenging. Here, we present a simple and fast strategy to generate stable, endogenously tagged alleles in a non-transformed cell culture model. At the example of piwi in Drosophila ovarian somatic sheath cells, we show that this strategy enables the generation of an N-terminally tagged protein that emulates the expression level and subcellular localization of the wild type protein and forms functional Piwi-piRNA complexes. We further present a concise workflow to establish endogenously N-terminally and C-terminally tagged proteins, and knockout alleles through rapid selection of cell pools in fly and human models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingcai Meng
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Daniel Stoyko
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Celine Marlin Andrews
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Parthena Konstantinidou
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
| | - Pavol Genzor
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Timothy O
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Alexandra R Elchert
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Leif Benner
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Sushil Sobti
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Esther Y Katz
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Astrid D Haase
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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24
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Bornelöv S, Czech B, Hannon GJ. An evolutionarily conserved stop codon enrichment at the 5' ends of mammalian piRNAs. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2118. [PMID: 35440552 PMCID: PMC9018710 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29787-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are small RNAs required to recognize and silence transposable elements. The 5' ends of mature piRNAs are defined through cleavage of long precursor transcripts, primarily by Zucchini (Zuc). Zuc-dependent cleavage typically occurs immediately upstream of a uridine. However, Zuc lacks sequence preference in vitro, pointing towards additional unknown specificity factors. Here, we examine murine piRNAs and reveal a strong and specific enrichment of three sequences (UAA, UAG, UGA)-corresponding to stop codons-at piRNA 5' ends. Stop codon sequences are also enriched immediately after piRNA processing intermediates, reflecting their Zuc-dependent tail-to-head arrangement. Further analyses reveal that a Zuc in vivo cleavage preference at four sequences (UAA, UAG, UGA, UAC) promotes 5' end stop codons. This observation is conserved across mammals and possibly further. Our work provides new insights into Zuc-dependent cleavage and may point to a previously unrecognized connection between piRNA biogenesis and the translational machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Bornelöv
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre, Cambridge, CB2 0RE, UK.
| | - Benjamin Czech
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre, Cambridge, CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Gregory J Hannon
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre, Cambridge, CB2 0RE, UK.
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25
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Hanusek K, Poletajew S, Kryst P, Piekiełko-Witkowska A, Bogusławska J. piRNAs and PIWI Proteins as Diagnostic and Prognostic Markers of Genitourinary Cancers. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12020186. [PMID: 35204687 PMCID: PMC8869487 DOI: 10.3390/biom12020186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
piRNAs (PIWI-interacting RNAs) are small non-coding RNAs capable of regulation of transposon and gene expression. piRNAs utilise multiple mechanisms to affect gene expression, which makes them potentially more powerful regulators than microRNAs. The mechanisms by which piRNAs regulate transposon and gene expression include DNA methylation, histone modifications, and mRNA degradation. Genitourinary cancers (GC) are a large group of neoplasms that differ by their incidence, clinical course, biology, and prognosis for patients. Regardless of the GC type, metastatic disease remains a key therapeutic challenge, largely affecting patients’ survival rates. Recent studies indicate that piRNAs could serve as potentially useful biomarkers allowing for early cancer detection and therapeutic interventions at the stage of non-advanced tumour, improving patient’s outcomes. Furthermore, studies in prostate cancer show that piRNAs contribute to cancer progression by affecting key oncogenic pathways such as PI3K/AKT. Here, we discuss recent findings on biogenesis, mechanisms of action and the role of piRNAs and the associated PIWI proteins in GC. We also present tools that may be useful for studies on the functioning of piRNAs in cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Hanusek
- Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 01-813 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Sławomir Poletajew
- Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, II Department of Urology, 01-813 Warsaw, Poland; (S.P.); (P.K.)
| | - Piotr Kryst
- Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, II Department of Urology, 01-813 Warsaw, Poland; (S.P.); (P.K.)
| | - Agnieszka Piekiełko-Witkowska
- Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 01-813 Warsaw, Poland;
- Correspondence: (A.P.-W.); (J.B.)
| | - Joanna Bogusławska
- Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 01-813 Warsaw, Poland;
- Correspondence: (A.P.-W.); (J.B.)
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26
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Tsuji J, Thomson T, Brown C, Ghosh S, Theurkauf WE, Weng Z, Schwartz LM. Somatic piRNAs and Transposons are Differentially Expressed Coincident with Skeletal Muscle Atrophy and Programmed Cell Death. Front Genet 2022; 12:775369. [PMID: 35003216 PMCID: PMC8730325 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.775369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are small single-stranded RNAs that can repress transposon expression via epigenetic silencing and transcript degradation. They have been identified predominantly in the ovary and testis, where they serve essential roles in transposon silencing in order to protect the integrity of the genome in the germline. The potential expression of piRNAs in somatic cells has been controversial. In the present study we demonstrate the expression of piRNAs derived from both genic and transposon RNAs in the intersegmental muscles (ISMs) from the tobacco hawkmoth Manduca sexta. These piRNAs are abundantly expressed, ∼27 nt long, map antisense to transposons, are oxidation resistant, exhibit a 5’ uridine bias, and amplify via the canonical ping-pong pathway. An RNA-seq analysis demonstrated that 19 piRNA pathway genes are expressed in the ISMs and are developmentally regulated. The abundance of piRNAs does not change when the muscles initiate developmentally-regulated atrophy, but are repressed coincident with the commitment of the muscles undergo programmed cell death at the end of metamorphosis. This change in piRNA expression is correlated with the repression of several retrotransposons and the induction of specific DNA transposons. The developmentally-regulated changes in the expression of piRNAs, piRNA pathway genes, and transposons are all regulated by 20-hydroxyecdysone, the steroid hormone that controls the timing of ISM death. Taken together, these data provide compelling evidence for the existence of piRNA in somatic tissues and suggest that they may play roles in developmental processes such as programmed cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junko Tsuji
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Travis Thomson
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States.,Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Christine Brown
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - Subhanita Ghosh
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - William E Theurkauf
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Zhiping Weng
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Lawrence M Schwartz
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, United States
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27
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Haase AD. An introduction to PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) in the context of metazoan small RNA silencing pathways. RNA Biol 2022; 19:1094-1102. [PMID: 36217279 PMCID: PMC9559041 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2022.2132359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
PIWI proteins and their associated PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) constitute a small RNA-based adaptive immune system that restricts the deleterious activity of mobile genetic elements to protect genome integrity. Self/nonself discrimination is at the very core of successful defence and relies on complementary base-pairing in RNA-guided immunity. How the millions of piRNA sequences faithfully discriminate between self and nonself and how they adapt to novel genomic invaders remain key outstanding questions in genome biology. This review aims to introduce principles of piRNA silencing in the context of metazoan small RNA pathways. A distinct feature of piRNAs is their origin from single-stranded instead of double-stranded RNA precursors, and piRNAs require a unique set of processing factors. Novel nucleases, helicases and RNA binding proteins have been identified in piRNA biology, and while we are starting to understand some mechanisms of piRNA biogenesis and function, this diverse and prolific class of small RNAs remains full of surprises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid D. Haase
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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28
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Dallaire A, Manley BF, Wilkens M, Bista I, Quan C, Evangelisti E, Bradshaw CR, Ramakrishna NB, Schornack S, Butter F, Paszkowski U, Miska EA. Transcriptional activity and epigenetic regulation of transposable elements in the symbiotic fungus Rhizophagus irregularis. Genome Res 2021; 31:2290-2302. [PMID: 34772700 PMCID: PMC8647823 DOI: 10.1101/gr.275752.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi form mutualistic relationships with most land plant species. AM fungi have long been considered as ancient asexuals. Long-term clonal evolution would be remarkable for a eukaryotic lineage and suggests the importance of alternative mechanisms to promote genetic variability facilitating adaptation. Here, we assessed the potential of transposable elements for generating such genomic diversity. The dynamic expression of TEs during Rhizophagus irregularis spore development suggests ongoing TE activity. We find Mutator-like elements located near genes belonging to highly expanded gene families. Whole-genome epigenomic profiling of R. irregularis provides direct evidence of DNA methylation and small RNA production occurring at TE loci. Our results support a model in which TE activity shapes the genome, while DNA methylation and small RNA-mediated silencing keep their overproliferation in check. We propose that a well-controlled TE activity directly contributes to genome evolution in AM fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Dallaire
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QN, United Kingdom
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, United Kingdom
- Tree of Life, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
| | - Bethan F Manley
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QN, United Kingdom
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, United Kingdom
- Tree of Life, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
| | - Maya Wilkens
- Quantitative Proteomics, Institute of Molecular Biology, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Iliana Bista
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QN, United Kingdom
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, United Kingdom
- Tree of Life, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
| | - Clement Quan
- Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1LR, United Kingdom
| | - Edouard Evangelisti
- Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1LR, United Kingdom
| | - Charles R Bradshaw
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QN, United Kingdom
| | - Navin B Ramakrishna
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QN, United Kingdom
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, United Kingdom
| | - Sebastian Schornack
- Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1LR, United Kingdom
| | - Falk Butter
- Quantitative Proteomics, Institute of Molecular Biology, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Uta Paszkowski
- Crop Science Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0LE, United Kingdom
| | - Eric A Miska
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QN, United Kingdom
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, United Kingdom
- Tree of Life, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
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29
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Genzor P, Konstantinidou P, Stoyko D, Manzourolajdad A, Marlin Andrews C, Elchert AR, Stathopoulos C, Haase AD. Cellular abundance shapes function in piRNA-guided genome defense. Genome Res 2021; 31:2058-2068. [PMID: 34667116 PMCID: PMC8559710 DOI: 10.1101/gr.275478.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Defense against genome invaders universally relies on RNA-guided immunity. Prokaryotic CRISPR-Cas and eukaryotic RNA interference pathways recognize targets by complementary base-pairing, which places the sequences of their guide RNAs at the center of self/nonself discrimination. Here, we explore the sequence space of PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), the genome defense of animals, and establish functional priority among individual sequences. Our results reveal that only the topmost abundant piRNAs are commonly present in every cell, whereas rare sequences generate cell-to-cell diversity in flies and mice. We identify a skewed distribution of sequence abundance as a hallmark of piRNA populations and show that quantitative differences of more than a 1000-fold are established by conserved mechanisms of biogenesis. Finally, our genomics analyses and direct reporter assays reveal that abundance determines function in piRNA-guided genome defense. Taken together, we identify an effective sequence space and untangle two classes of piRNAs that differ in complexity and function. The first class represents the topmost abundant sequences and drives silencing of genomic parasites. The second class sparsely covers an enormous sequence space. These rare piRNAs cannot function in every cell, every individual, or every generation but create diversity with potential for adaptation in the ongoing arms race with genome invaders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavol Genzor
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Parthena Konstantinidou
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
| | - Daniel Stoyko
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Amirhossein Manzourolajdad
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Celine Marlin Andrews
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Alexandra R Elchert
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | | | - Astrid D Haase
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
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30
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Barreñada O, Larriba E, Brieño-Enriquez MA, Mazo JD. piRNA-IPdb: a PIWI-bound piRNAs database to mining NGS sncRNA data and beyond. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:765. [PMID: 34702185 PMCID: PMC8549166 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-08071-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are an abundant single-stranded type of small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs), which initially were discovered in gonadal cells, with a role as defenders of genomic integrity in the germline, acting against the transposable elements. With a regular size range of 21-35 nt, piRNAs are associated with a PIWI-clade of Argonaute family proteins. The most widely accepted mechanisms of biogenesis for piRNAs involve the transcription of longer precursors of RNAs to be processed, by complexes of proteins, to functional size, preferentially accommodating uridine residues at the 5’ end and 3’ methylation to increase the stability of these molecules. piRNAs have also been detected in somatic cells, with diverse potential functions, indicating their high plasticity and pleiotropic activity. Discovered about two decades ago, piRNAs are a large and versatile type of sncRNA and that remain insufficiently identified and analyzed, through next-generation sequencing (NGS), to evaluate their processing, functions, and biogenesis in different cell types and during development. piRNAs’ distinction from other sncRNAs has led to controversial results and interpretation difficulties when using existing databases because of the heterogeneity of the criteria used in making the distinction. Description We present “piRNA-IPdb”, a database based uniquely on datasets obtaining after the defining characteristic of piRNAs: those small RNAs bound to PIWI proteins. We selected and analyzed sequences from piRBase that exclusively cover the binding to PIWI. We pooled a total of 18,821,815 sequences from RNA-seq after immunoprecipitation that included the binding to any of the mouse PIWI proteins (MILI, MIWI, or MIWI2). Conclusions In summary, we present the characteristics and potential use of piRNA-IPdb database for the analysis of bona fide piRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Odei Barreñada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas (CIB-CSIC), Ramiro de Maeztu, 9, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Eduardo Larriba
- Institute of Bioengineering, University "Miguel Hernández", 03202, Elche, Spain
| | - Miguel A Brieño-Enriquez
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Jesús Del Mazo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas (CIB-CSIC), Ramiro de Maeztu, 9, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
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31
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Drews F, Karunanithi S, Götz U, Marker S, deWijn R, Pirritano M, Rodrigues-Viana AM, Jung M, Gasparoni G, Schulz MH, Simon M. Two Piwis with Ago-like functions silence somatic genes at the chromatin level. RNA Biol 2021; 18:757-769. [PMID: 34663180 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2021.1991114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Most sRNA biogenesis mechanisms involve either RNAse III cleavage or ping-pong amplification by different Piwi proteins harbouring slicer activity. Here, we follow the question why the mechanism of transgene-induced silencing in the ciliate Paramecium needs both Dicer activity and two Ptiwi proteins. This pathway involves primary siRNAs produced from non-translatable transgenes and secondary siRNAs from targeted endogenous loci. Our data does not indicate any signatures from ping-pong amplification but Dicer cleavage of long dsRNA. Ptiwi13 and 14 prefer different sub-cellular localizations and different preferences for primary and secondary siRNAs but do not load them mutually exclusive. Both Piwis enrich for antisense RNAs and show a general preference for uridine-rich sRNAs along the entire sRNA length. In addition, Ptiwi14-loaded siRNAs show a 5´-U signature. Our data indicates both Ptiwis and 2´-O-methylation contributing to strand selection of Dicer cleaved siRNAs. This unexpected function of the two distinct vegetative Piwis extends the increasing knowledge of the diversity of Piwi functions in diverse silencing pathways. We describe an unusual mode of action of Piwi proteins extending not only the great variety of Piwi-associated RNAi pathways but moreover raising the question whether this could have been the primordial one.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Drews
- Molecular Cell Biology and Microbiology, Wuppertal University, Wuppertal, Germany.,Molecular Cell Dynamics, Centre for Human and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Sivarajan Karunanithi
- Cluster of Excellence, Multimodal Computing and Interaction, Saarland University and Department for Computational Biology and Applied Algorithmics, Max Planck Institute for Informatics, Saarland Informatics Campus, Saarbrücken, Germany.,Institute for Cardiovascular Regeneration, Goethe-University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Ulrike Götz
- Molecular Cell Dynamics, Centre for Human and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Simone Marker
- Molecular Cell Dynamics, Centre for Human and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Raphael deWijn
- Molecular Cell Dynamics, Centre for Human and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Marcello Pirritano
- Molecular Cell Biology and Microbiology, Wuppertal University, Wuppertal, Germany.,Molecular Cell Dynamics, Centre for Human and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Angela M Rodrigues-Viana
- Molecular Cell Dynamics, Centre for Human and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Martin Jung
- School of Medicine, Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Gilles Gasparoni
- Genetics/Epigenetics, Centre for Human and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Marcel H Schulz
- Cluster of Excellence, Multimodal Computing and Interaction, Saarland University and Department for Computational Biology and Applied Algorithmics, Max Planck Institute for Informatics, Saarland Informatics Campus, Saarbrücken, Germany.,Institute for Cardiovascular Regeneration, Goethe-University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Martin Simon
- Molecular Cell Biology and Microbiology, Wuppertal University, Wuppertal, Germany.,Molecular Cell Dynamics, Centre for Human and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
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32
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Huang S, Yoshitake K, Asakawa S. A Review of Discovery Profiling of PIWI-Interacting RNAs and Their Diverse Functions in Metazoans. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222011166. [PMID: 34681826 PMCID: PMC8538981 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222011166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) that perform crucial biological functions in metazoans and defend against transposable elements (TEs) in germ lines. Recently, ubiquitously expressed piRNAs were discovered in soma and germ lines using small RNA sequencing (sRNA-seq) in humans and animals, providing new insights into the diverse functions of piRNAs. However, the role of piRNAs has not yet been fully elucidated, and sRNA-seq studies continue to reveal different piRNA activities in the genome. In this review, we summarize a set of simplified processes for piRNA analysis in order to provide a useful guide for researchers to perform piRNA research suitable for their study objectives. These processes can help expand the functional research on piRNAs from previously reported sRNA-seq results in metazoans. Ubiquitously expressed piRNAs have been discovered in the soma and germ lines in Annelida, Cnidaria, Echinodermata, Crustacea, Arthropoda, and Mollusca, but they are limited to germ lines in Chordata. The roles of piRNAs in TE silencing, gene expression regulation, epigenetic regulation, embryonic development, immune response, and associated diseases will continue to be discovered via sRNA-seq.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songqian Huang
- Correspondence: (S.H.); (S.A.); Tel.: +81-3-5841-5296 (S.A.); Fax: +81-3-5841-8166 (S.A.)
| | | | - Shuichi Asakawa
- Correspondence: (S.H.); (S.A.); Tel.: +81-3-5841-5296 (S.A.); Fax: +81-3-5841-8166 (S.A.)
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33
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Rodriguez FD. Targeting Epigenetic Mechanisms to Treat Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD). Curr Pharm Des 2021; 27:3252-3272. [PMID: 33535943 PMCID: PMC8778698 DOI: 10.2174/1381612827666210203142539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The impact of abusive alcohol consumption on human health is remarkable. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 3.3 million people die annually because of harmful alcohol consumption (the figure represents around 5.9% of global deaths). Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a chronic disease where individuals exhibit compulsive alcohol drinking and present negative emotional states when they do not drink. In the most severe manifestations of AUD, the individuals lose control over intake despite a decided will to stop drinking. Given the multiple faces and the specific forms of this disease, the term AUD often appears in the plural (AUDs). Since only a few approved pharmacological treatments are available to treat AUD and they do not apply to all individuals or AUD forms, the search for compounds that may help to eliminate the burden of the disease and complement other therapeutical approaches is necessary. METHODS This work reviews recent research focused on the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms in the pathophysiology of AUD. Excessive drinking leads to chronic and compulsive consumption that eventually damages the organism. The central nervous system is a key target and is the focus of this study. The search for the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms behind the intricated dysregulation induced by ethanol will aid researchers in establishing new therapy approaches. CONCLUSION Recent findings in the field of epigenetics are essential and offer new windows for observation and research. The study of small molecules that inhibit key epienzymes involved in nucleosome architecture dynamics is necessary in order to prove their action and specificity in the laboratory and to test their effectivity and safety in clinical trials with selected patients bearing defined alterations caused by ethanol.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. David Rodriguez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Salamanca and Group GIR BMD (Bases Moleculares del Desarrollo), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
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34
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Chen S, Ben S, Xin J, Li S, Zheng R, Wang H, Fan L, Du M, Zhang Z, Wang M. The biogenesis and biological function of PIWI-interacting RNA in cancer. J Hematol Oncol 2021; 14:93. [PMID: 34118972 PMCID: PMC8199808 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-021-01104-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are vital regulators of biological activities, and aberrant levels of small ncRNAs are commonly found in precancerous lesions and cancer. PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are a novel type of small ncRNA initially discovered in germ cells that have a specific length (24-31 nucleotides), bind to PIWI proteins, and show 2'-O-methyl modification at the 3'-end. Numerous studies have revealed that piRNAs can play important roles in tumorigenesis via multiple biological regulatory mechanisms, including silencing transcriptional and posttranscriptional gene processes and accelerating multiprotein interactions. piRNAs are emerging players in the malignant transformation of normal cells and participate in the regulation of cancer hallmarks. Most of the specific cancer hallmarks regulated by piRNAs are involved in sustaining proliferative signaling, resistance to cell death or apoptosis, and activation of invasion and metastasis. Additionally, piRNAs have been used as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis and have great potential for clinical utility. However, research on the underlying mechanisms of piRNAs in cancer is limited. Here, we systematically reviewed recent advances in the biogenesis and biological functions of piRNAs and relevant bioinformatics databases with the aim of providing insights into cancer diagnosis and clinical applications. We also focused on some cancer hallmarks rarely reported to be related to piRNAs, which can promote in-depth research of piRNAs in molecular biology and facilitate their clinical translation into cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silu Chen
- Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211166, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.,Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Genetic Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shuai Ben
- Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Genetic Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Junyi Xin
- Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Genetic Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shuwei Li
- Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Genetic Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Rui Zheng
- Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Genetic Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Genetic Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lulu Fan
- Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Genetic Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Mulong Du
- Department of Genetic Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Biostatistics, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhengdong Zhang
- Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Genetic Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Meilin Wang
- Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211166, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. .,Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. .,Department of Genetic Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. .,Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Gusu School, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
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35
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Kärkkäinen E, Heikkinen S, Tengström M, Kosma VM, Mannermaa A, Hartikainen JM. The debatable presence of PIWI-interacting RNAs in invasive breast cancer. Cancer Med 2021; 10:3593-3603. [PMID: 33960684 PMCID: PMC8178507 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.3915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Numerous factors influence breast cancer (BC) prognosis, thus complicating the prediction of outcome. By identifying biomarkers that would distinguish the cases with poorer response to therapy already at the time of diagnosis, the rate of survival could be improved. Lately, Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) have been introduced as potential cancer biomarkers, however, due to the recently raised challenges in piRNA annotations, further evaluation of piRNAs' involvement in cancer is required. We performed small RNA sequencing in 227 fresh-frozen breast tissue samples from the Eastern Finnish Kuopio Breast Cancer Project material to study the presence of piRNAs in BC and their associations with the clinicopathological features and outcome of BC patients. We observed the presence of three small RNAs annotated as piRNA database entries (DQ596932, DQ570994, and DQ571955) in our samples. The actual species of these RNAs however remain uncertain. All three small RNAs were upregulated in grade III tumors and DQ596932 additionally in estrogen receptor negative tumors. Furthermore, patients with estrogen receptor positive BC and higher DQ571955 had shorter relapse-free survival and poorer BC-specific survival, thus indicating DQ571955 as a candidate predictive marker for radiotherapy response in estrogen receptor positive BC. DQ596932 showed possible prognostic value in BC, whereas DQ570994 was identified as a candidate predictive marker for tamoxifen and chemotherapy response. These three small RNAs appear as candidate biomarkers for BC, which could after further investigation provide novel approaches for the treatment of therapy resistant BC. Overall, our results indicate that the prevalence of piRNAs in cancer is most likely not as comprehensive as has been previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmi Kärkkäinen
- School of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Pathology and Forensic Medicine, and Translational Cancer Research Area, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Sami Heikkinen
- School of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.,School of Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Maria Tengström
- School of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Oncology, and Cancer Center of Eastern Finland, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.,Cancer Center, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Veli-Matti Kosma
- School of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Pathology and Forensic Medicine, and Translational Cancer Research Area, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.,Department of Clinical Pathology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Arto Mannermaa
- School of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Pathology and Forensic Medicine, and Translational Cancer Research Area, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.,Department of Clinical Pathology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Jaana M Hartikainen
- School of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Pathology and Forensic Medicine, and Translational Cancer Research Area, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
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36
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Tosar JP, García-Silva MR, Cayota A. Circulating SNORD57 rather than piR-54265 is a promising biomarker for colorectal cancer: common pitfalls in the study of somatic piRNAs in cancer. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2021; 27:403-410. [PMID: 33376191 PMCID: PMC7962485 DOI: 10.1261/rna.078444.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
There is increasing interest among cancer researchers in the study of Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), a group of small RNAs important for maintaining genome stability in the germline. Aberrant expression of piRNAs in cancer could imply an involvement of these regulatory RNAs in neoplastic transformation. On top of that, it could enable early cancer diagnosis based on RNA analysis in liquid biopsies, as piRNAs are not expected to widely circulate in the bloodstream of healthy individuals. Indeed, it has recently been shown that serum piR-54265 allows for excellent discrimination between colorectal cancer patients and healthy controls. However, we have also shown that most somatic piRNAs reported to date in mammals are actually fragments of other noncoding RNAs. Herein, we show that reports positioning piR-54265 as a noninvasive biomarker for colorectal cancer were actually measuring variations in the levels of a full-length (72 nt) small nucleolar RNA in serum. This should place a cautionary note for future research in somatic and cancer-specific piRNAs. We deeply encourage this line of research but discuss proper ways to identify somatic piRNAs without the interference of erroneous entries contained in piRNA databases. We also introduce the concept of miscellaneous-piRNAs (m-piRNAs) to distinguish between canonical piRNAs and other small RNAs circumstantially associated with PIWI proteins in somatic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Pablo Tosar
- Analytical Biochemistry Unit, Nuclear Research Center, School of Science, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
- Functional Genomics Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | | | - Alfonso Cayota
- Functional Genomics Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
- Department of Medicine, University Hospital, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11600, Uruguay
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37
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Vrettos N, Maragkakis M, Alexiou P, Sgourdou P, Ibrahim F, Palmieri D, Kirino Y, Mourelatos Z. Modulation of Aub-TDRD interactions elucidates piRNA amplification and germplasm formation. Life Sci Alliance 2021; 4:e202000912. [PMID: 33376130 PMCID: PMC7772777 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202000912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Aub guided by piRNAs ensures genome integrity by cleaving retrotransposons, and genome propagation by trapping mRNAs to form the germplasm that instructs germ cell formation. Arginines at the N-terminus of Aub (Aub-NTRs) interact with Tudor and other Tudor domain-containing proteins (TDRDs). Aub-TDRD interactions suppress active retrotransposons via piRNA amplification and form germplasm via generation of Aub-Tudor ribonucleoproteins. Here, we show that Aub-NTRs are dispensable for primary piRNA biogenesis but essential for piRNA amplification and that their symmetric dimethylation is required for germplasm formation and germ cell specification but largely redundant for piRNA amplification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Vrettos
- Division of Neuropathology, Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Manolis Maragkakis
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Paraskevi Sgourdou
- Departments of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Fadia Ibrahim
- Division of Neuropathology, Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Daniel Palmieri
- Division of Neuropathology, Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yohei Kirino
- Computational Medicine Center, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Zissimos Mourelatos
- Division of Neuropathology, Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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38
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HRV16 Infection Induces Changes in the Expression of Multiple piRNAs. Virol Sin 2021; 36:736-745. [PMID: 33616891 DOI: 10.1007/s12250-021-00344-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Human rhinovirus (HRV) is one of the most important cold-causing pathogens in humans. Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are a recently discovered class of small non-coding RNAs whose best-understood function is to repress mobile element (ME) activity in animal germline. However, the profile of human/host piRNA during HRV infection is largely unknown. Here we performed high-throughput sequencing of piRNAs from H1-HeLa cells infected with HRV16 at 12 h, 24 h, and 36 h. The results showed that 22,151,664, 24,362,486 and 22,726,546 piRNAs displayed differential expression after HRV16 infection for three time points. A significant differential expression of 21 piRNAs was found in all time points and further verified by RT-qPCR, including 7 known piRNAs and 14 newly found piRNAs. In addition, piRNA prediction was performed on Piano using the SVM algorithm and transposon information. It found that novel_pir78110, novel_pir78107, novel_pir78097, novel_pir78094 and novel_pir76584 are associated with the DNA/hobo of Drosophila, Ac of maize and Tam3 of snapdragon (hAT)-Charlie transposon. The novel_pir97924, novel_pir105705 and novel_pir105700 recognize long interspersed nuclear elements 1 (LINE-1). The novel_pir33182 and novel_pir46604 are related to the long terminal repeat (LTR)/(Endogenous Retrovirus1) ERV1 repetitive element. The novel_pir73855 is related to the LTR/ERVK repetitive element. Both novel_pir70108 and novel_pir70106 are associated with the LTR/ERVL-MaLR repetitive element. The novel_pir15900 is associated with the DNA/hAT-Tip100 repetitive element. Overall, our results indicated that rhinovirus infection could reduce the expression of some piRNAs to facilitate upregulation of LINE-1 transcription or retrotransposons' expression, which is helpful to further explore the mechanism of rhinovirus infection.
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39
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Small RNAs Are Implicated in Regulation of Gene and Transposable Element Expression in the Protist Trichomonas vaginalis. mSphere 2021; 6:6/1/e01061-20. [PMID: 33408230 PMCID: PMC7845603 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.01061-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Trichomoniasis, caused by the protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis, is the most common nonviral sexually transmitted infection in humans. The millions of cases each year have sequelae that may include complications during pregnancy and increased risk of HIV infection. Trichomonas vaginalis is the causative agent of trichomoniasis, the most prevalent nonviral sexually transmitted infection worldwide. Repetitive elements, including transposable elements (TEs) and virally derived repeats, comprise more than half of the ∼160-Mb T. vaginalis genome. An intriguing question is how the parasite controls its potentially lethal complement of mobile elements, which can disrupt transcription of protein-coding genes and genome functions. In this study, we generated high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) and small RNA-Seq data sets in triplicate for the T. vaginalis G3 reference strain and characterized the mRNA and small RNA populations and their mapping patterns along all six chromosomes. Mapping the RNA-Seq transcripts to the genome revealed that the majority of genes predicted within repetitive elements are not expressed. Interestingly, we identified a novel species of small RNA that maps bidirectionally along the chromosomes and is correlated with reduced protein-coding gene expression and reduced RNA-Seq coverage in repetitive elements. This novel small RNA family may play a regulatory role in gene and repetitive element expression. Our results identify a possible small RNA pathway mechanism by which the parasite regulates expression of genes and TEs and raise intriguing questions as to the role repeats may play in shaping T. vaginalis genome evolution and the diversity of small RNA pathways in general. IMPORTANCE Trichomoniasis, caused by the protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis, is the most common nonviral sexually transmitted infection in humans. The millions of cases each year have sequelae that may include complications during pregnancy and increased risk of HIV infection. Given its evident success in this niche, it is paradoxical that T. vaginalis harbors in its genome thousands of transposable elements that have the potential to be extremely detrimental to normal genomic function. In many organisms, transposon expression is regulated by the activity of endogenously expressed short (∼21 to 35 nucleotides [nt]) small RNA molecules that effect gene silencing by targeting mRNAs for degradation or by recruiting epigenetic silencing machinery to locations in the genome. Our research has identified small RNA molecules correlated with reduced expression of T. vaginalis genes and transposons. This suggests that a small RNA pathway is a major contributor to gene expression patterns in the parasite and opens up new avenues for investigation into small RNA biogenesis, function, and diversity.
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40
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Distinct Regulation of the Expression of Satellite DNAs in the Beetle Tribolium castaneum. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 22:ijms22010296. [PMID: 33396654 PMCID: PMC7796160 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22010296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In the flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (peri)centromeric heterochromatin is mainly composed of a major satellite DNA TCAST1 interspersed with minor satellites. With the exception of heterochromatin, clustered satellite repeats are found dispersed within euchromatin. In order to uncover a possible satellite DNA function within the beetle genome, we analysed the expression of the major TCAST1 and a minor TCAST2 satellite during the development and upon heat stress. The results reveal that TCAST1 transcription was strongly induced at specific embryonic stages and upon heat stress, while TCAST2 transcription is stable during both processes. TCAST1 transcripts are processed preferentially into piRNAs during embryogenesis and into siRNAs during later development, contrary to TCAST2 transcripts, which are processed exclusively into piRNAs. In addition, increased TCAST1 expression upon heat stress is accompanied by the enrichment of the silent histone mark H3K9me3 on the major satellite, while the H3K9me3 level at TCAST2 remains unchanged. The transcription of the two satellites is proposed to be affected by the chromatin state: heterochromatin and euchromatin, which are assumed to be the prevalent sources of TCAST1 and TCAST2 transcripts, respectively. In addition, distinct regulation of the expression might be related to diverse roles that major and minor satellite RNAs play during the development and stress response.
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41
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Forth JH, Forth LF, Lycett S, Bell-Sakyi L, Keil GM, Blome S, Calvignac-Spencer S, Wissgott A, Krause J, Höper D, Kampen H, Beer M. Identification of African swine fever virus-like elements in the soft tick genome provides insights into the virus' evolution. BMC Biol 2020; 18:136. [PMID: 33032594 PMCID: PMC7542975 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00865-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a most devastating pathogen affecting swine. In 2007, ASFV was introduced into Eastern Europe where it continuously circulates and recently reached Western Europe and Asia, leading to a socio-economic crisis of global proportion. In Africa, where ASFV was first described in 1921, it is transmitted between warthogs and soft ticks of the genus Ornithodoros in a so-called sylvatic cycle. However, analyses into this virus' evolution are aggravated by the absence of any closely related viruses. Even ancient endogenous viral elements, viral sequences integrated into a host's genome many thousand years ago that have proven extremely valuable to analyse virus evolution, remain to be identified. Therefore, the evolution of ASFV, the only known DNA virus transmitted by arthropods, remains a mystery. RESULTS For the identification of ASFV-like sequences, we sequenced DNA from different recent Ornithodoros tick species, e.g. O. moubata and O. porcinus, O. moubata tick cells and also 100-year-old O. moubata and O. porcinus ticks using high-throughput sequencing. We used BLAST analyses for the identification of ASFV-like sequences and further analysed the data through phylogenetic reconstruction and molecular clock analyses. In addition, we performed tick infection experiments as well as additional small RNA sequencing of O. moubata and O. porcinus soft ticks. CONCLUSION Here, we show that soft ticks of the Ornithodoros moubata group, the natural arthropod vector of ASFV, harbour African swine fever virus-like integrated (ASFLI) elements corresponding to up to 10% (over 20 kb) of the ASFV genome. Through orthologous dating and molecular clock analyses, we provide data suggesting that integration could have occurred over 1.47 million years ago. Furthermore, we provide data showing ASFLI-element specific siRNA and piRNA in ticks and tick cells allowing for speculations on a possible role of ASFLI-elements in RNA interference-based protection against ASFV in ticks. We suggest that these elements, shaped through many years of co-evolution, could be part of an evolutionary virus-vector 'arms race', a finding that has not only high impact on our understanding of the co-evolution of viruses with their hosts but also provides a glimpse into the evolution of ASFV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan H Forth
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Leonie F Forth
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Samantha Lycett
- The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, Scotland, UK
| | - Lesley Bell-Sakyi
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, 146 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool, L3 5RF, UK
| | - Günther M Keil
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Sandra Blome
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | | | - Antje Wissgott
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Str. 10, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Johannes Krause
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Str. 10, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Dirk Höper
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Helge Kampen
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Martin Beer
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
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Maguire S, Lohman GJS, Guan S. A low-bias and sensitive small RNA library preparation method using randomized splint ligation. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:e80. [PMID: 32496547 PMCID: PMC7641310 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Small RNAs are important regulators of gene expression and are involved in human development and disease. Next generation sequencing (NGS) allows for scalable, genome-wide studies of small RNA; however, current methods are challenged by low sensitivity and high bias, limiting their ability to capture an accurate representation of the cellular small RNA population. Several studies have shown that this bias primarily arises during the ligation of single-strand adapters during library preparation, and that this ligation bias is magnified by 2′-O-methyl modifications (2′OMe) on the 3′ terminal nucleotide. In this study, we developed a novel library preparation process using randomized splint ligation with a cleavable adapter, a design which resolves previous challenges associated with this ligation strategy. We show that a randomized splint ligation based workflow can reduce bias and increase the sensitivity of small RNA sequencing for a wide variety of small RNAs, including microRNA (miRNA) and tRNA fragments as well as 2′OMe modified RNA, including Piwi-interacting RNA and plant miRNA. Finally, we demonstrate that this workflow detects more differentially expressed miRNA between tumorous and matched normal tissues. Overall, this library preparation process allows for highly accurate small RNA sequencing and will enable studies of 2′OMe modified RNA with new levels of detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean Maguire
- New England Biolabs, Inc., 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA 01938, USA
| | | | - Shengxi Guan
- New England Biolabs, Inc., 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA 01938, USA
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Kim IV, Riedelbauch S, Kuhn CD. The piRNA pathway in planarian flatworms: new model, new insights. Biol Chem 2020; 401:1123-1141. [DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2019-0445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
AbstractPIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are small regulatory RNAs that associate with members of the PIWI clade of the Argonaute superfamily of proteins. piRNAs are predominantly found in animal gonads. There they silence transposable elements (TEs), regulate gene expression and participate in DNA methylation, thus orchestrating proper germline development. Furthermore, PIWI proteins are also indispensable for the maintenance and differentiation capabilities of pluripotent stem cells in free-living invertebrate species with regenerative potential. Thus, PIWI proteins and piRNAs seem to constitute an essential molecular feature of somatic pluripotent stem cells and the germline. In keeping with this hypothesis, both PIWI proteins and piRNAs are enriched in neoblasts, the adult stem cells of planarian flatworms, and their presence is a prerequisite for the proper regeneration and perpetual tissue homeostasis of these animals. The piRNA pathway is required to maintain the unique biology of planarians because, in analogy to the animal germline, planarian piRNAs silence TEs and ensure stable genome inheritance. Moreover, planarian piRNAs also contribute to the degradation of numerous protein-coding transcripts, a function that may be critical for neoblast differentiation. This review gives an overview of the planarian piRNA pathway and of its crucial function in neoblast biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iana V. Kim
- Gene regulation by Non-coding RNA, Elite Network of Bavaria and University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, D-95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Sebastian Riedelbauch
- Gene regulation by Non-coding RNA, Elite Network of Bavaria and University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, D-95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Claus-D. Kuhn
- Gene regulation by Non-coding RNA, Elite Network of Bavaria and University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, D-95447 Bayreuth, Germany
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Lin Y, Zheng J, Lin D. PIWI-interacting RNAs in human cancer. Semin Cancer Biol 2020; 75:15-28. [PMID: 32877760 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2020.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 08/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
P-element-induced wimpy testis (PIWI) interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are a class of small regulatory RNAs mechanistically similar to but much less studied than microRNAs and small interfering RNAs. Today the best understood function of piRNAs is transposon control in animal germ cells, which has earned them the name 'guardians of the germline'. Several molecular/cellular characteristics of piRNAs, including high sequence diversity, lack of secondary structures, and target-oriented generation seem to serve this purpose. Recently, aberrant expressions of piRNAs and PIWI proteins have been implicated in a variety of malignant tumors and associated with cancer hallmarks such as cell proliferation, inhibited apoptosis, invasion, metastasis and increased stemness. Researchers have also demonstrated multiple mechanisms of piRNA-mediated target deregulation associated with cancer initiation, progression or dissemination. We review current research findings on the biogenesis, normal functions and cancer associations of piRNAs, highlighting their potentials as cancer diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic tools. Whenever applicable, we draw connections with other research fields to encourage intercommunity conversations. We also offer recommendations and cautions regarding the general process of cancer-related piRNA studies and the methods/tools used at each step. Finally, we call attention to some issues that, if left unsolved, might impede the future development of this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Lin
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics (ICG), Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center (BIOPIC), Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
| | - Jian Zheng
- Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China and Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Dongxin Lin
- Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China and Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, 510060, China; Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
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Mentis AFA, Dardiotis E, Romas NA, Papavassiliou AG. PIWI family proteins as prognostic markers in cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 77:2289-2314. [PMID: 31814070 PMCID: PMC11104808 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03403-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND P-element-induced-wimpy-testis-(PIWI)-like proteins are implicated in germ cells' regulation and detected in numerous cancer types. In this meta-analysis, we aimed to associate, for the first time, the prognosis in cancer patients with intratumoral expression of PIWI family proteins. METHODS PubMed, Embase, and Web of Knowledge databases were searched, and studies investigating the association between intratumoral mRNA or protein expression of different PIWI family proteins and survival, metastasis, or recurrence of various cancer types were reviewed. Study qualities were assessed using the REMARK criteria. Studies' heterogeneity was evaluated using I2 index and Cochran Q test. Publication bias was assessed by funnel plots and Egger's regression. Pooled hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated for different PIWI family proteins separately. Specifically, log of calculated HR was pooled using random-effects model. RESULTS Twenty-six studies (4299 participants) were included. The pooled HR of mortality in high versus low expression of PIWIL1, PIWIL2, and PIWIL4 was 1.87 (95% CI: 1.31-2.66, p < 0.05), 1.09 (95% CI: 0.58-2.07, p = 0.79), and 0.44 (95% CI: 0.25-0.76, p < 0.05), respectively. The pooled HR of recurrence in high versus low expression of PIWIL1 and PIWIL2 was 1.72 (95% CI: 1.20-2.49, p < 0.05) and 1.98 (95% CI: 0.65-5.98, p = 0.23), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Highly variable results were observed for different cancer types. Higher PIWIL1 and lower piwil4 and PIWIL4 expression levels could potentially indicate worse prognosis in cancer. These proteins' expressions could be used for personalized prognosis and treatment in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexios-Fotios A Mentis
- Public Health Laboratories, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
- Department of Microbiology, University Hospital of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | | | - Nicholas A Romas
- Department of Urology, Columbia University Medical Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, USA
| | - Athanasios G Papavassiliou
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 M. Asias Street - Bldg. 16, 11527, Athens, Greece.
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Kim KW. PIWI Proteins and piRNAs in the Nervous System. Mol Cells 2019; 42:828-835. [PMID: 31838836 PMCID: PMC6939654 DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2019.0241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
PIWI Argonaute proteins and Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are expressed in all animal species and play a critical role in cellular defense by inhibiting the activation of transposable elements in the germline. Recently, new evidence suggests that PIWI proteins and piRNAs also play important roles in various somatic tissues, including neurons. This review summarizes the neuronal functions of the PIWI-piRNA pathway in multiple animal species, including their involvement in axon regeneration, behavior, memory formation, and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of adaptive memory. This review also discusses the consequences of dysregulation of neuronal PIWI-piRNA pathways in certain neurological disorders, including neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. A full understanding of neuronal PIWI-piRNA pathways will ultimately provide novel insights into small RNA biology and could potentially provide precise targets for therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung Won Kim
- Convergence Program of Material Science for Medicine and Pharmaceutics, Department of Life Science, Multidisciplinary Genome Institute, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252,
Korea
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Marconcini M, Hernandez L, Iovino G, Houé V, Valerio F, Palatini U, Pischedda E, Crawford JE, White BJ, Lin T, Carballar-Lejarazu R, Ometto L, Forneris F, Failloux AB, Bonizzoni M. Polymorphism analyses and protein modelling inform on functional specialization of Piwi clade genes in the arboviral vector Aedes albopictus. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007919. [PMID: 31790401 PMCID: PMC6907866 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Current knowledge of the piRNA pathway is based mainly on studies on Drosophila melanogaster where three proteins of the Piwi subclade of the Argonaute family interact with PIWI-interacting RNAs to silence transposable elements in gonadal tissues. In mosquito species that transmit epidemic arboviruses such as dengue and chikungunya viruses, Piwi clade genes underwent expansion, are also expressed in the soma and cross-talk with proteins of recognized antiviral function cannot be excluded for some Piwi proteins. These observations underscore the importance of expanding our knowledge of the piRNA pathway beyond the model organism D. melanogaster. Here we focus on the emerging arboviral vector Aedes albopictus and we couple traditional approaches of expression and adaptive evolution analyses with most current computational predictions of protein structure to study evolutionary divergence among Piwi clade proteins. Superposition of protein homology models indicate possible high structure similarity among all Piwi proteins, with high levels of amino acid conservation in the inner regions devoted to RNA binding. On the contrary, solvent-exposed surfaces showed low conservation, with several sites under positive selection. Analysis of the expression profiles of Piwi transcripts during mosquito development and following infection with dengue serotype 1 or chikungunya viruses showed a concerted elicitation of all Piwi transcripts during viral dissemination of dengue viruses while maintenance of infection relied on expression of primarily Piwi5. Opposite, establishment of persistent infection by chikungunya virus is accompanied by increased expression of all Piwi genes, particularly Piwi4 and, again, Piwi5. Overall these results are consistent with functional specialization and a general antiviral role for Piwi5. Experimental evidences of sites under positive selection in Piwi1/3, Piwi4 and Piwi6, that have complex expression profiles, provide useful knowledge to design tailored functional experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Marconcini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Luis Hernandez
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Iovino
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Vincent Houé
- Arbovirus and Insect Vectors Units, Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Federica Valerio
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Umberto Palatini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Elisa Pischedda
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Jacob E. Crawford
- Verily Life Sciences, South San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Bradley J. White
- Verily Life Sciences, South San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Teresa Lin
- Verily Life Sciences, South San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | | | - Lino Ometto
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Federico Forneris
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Anna-Bella Failloux
- Arbovirus and Insect Vectors Units, Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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piRNA-Guided CRISPR-like Immunity in Eukaryotes. Trends Immunol 2019; 40:998-1010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2019.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Aberrant expression of select piRNA-pathway genes does not reactivate piRNA silencing in cancer cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:11111-11112. [PMID: 31110013 PMCID: PMC6561285 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1904498116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Germline genes that are aberrantly expressed in nongermline cancer cells have the potential to be ideal targets for diagnosis and therapy due to their restricted physiological expression, their broad reactivation in various cancer types, and their immunogenic properties. Among such cancer/testis genes, components of the PIWI-interacting small RNA (piRNA) pathway are of particular interest, as they control mobile genetic elements (transposons) in germ cells and thus hold great potential to counteract genome instability in cancer. Here, we systematically investigate the potential reactivation of functional piRNA-silencing mechanisms in the aberrant context. While we observe expression of individual piRNA-pathway genes in cancer, we fail to detect the formation of functional piRNA-silencing complexes. Accordingly, the expression of a PIWI protein alone remains inconsequential to the cancer cell transcriptome. Our data provide a framework for the investigation of complex aberrant gene-expression signatures and establish that reactivation of piRNA silencing, if at all, is not a prevalent phenomenon in cancer cells.
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