Project description:Transposons evolve rapidly and can mobilize and trigger genetic instability. piRNAs silence these genome pathogens, but it is unclear how the piRNA pathway adapts to new transposons. In Drosophila piRNAs, encoded by heterochromatic clusters are maternally deposited in the embryo. Paternally inherited P-element transposons thus escape silencing and trigger a genetic instability and sterility. We show that this syndrome, termed P-M hybrid dysgenesis, also disrupts the piRNA biogenesis machinery and activates resident transposons. As dysgenic hybrids age, however, fertility is restored, P-elements are silenced, and P-element piRNAs are produced de novo. In addition, the piRNA biogenesis machinery is restored and resident elements are silenced. Significantly, new resident transposons insertions accumulate in piRNA clusters, and these new insertions are transmitted to progeny with high fidelity, produce novel piRNAs, and are associated with reduced transposition. P-M hybrid dysgenesis thus leads to heritable changes in chromosome structure that appear to enhance transposon silencing.
Project description:The transposon silencing piRNAs are produced from precursors that are encoded by heterochromatic clusters and processed in the perinuclear nuage. We show that the Drosophila nuclear DEAD box protein UAP56, previously implicated in mRNA splicing and nuclear export, co-localizes with the cluster-associated HP1 homologue Rhino. Prominent nuclear foci containing Rhi and UAP56 localize directly across the nuclear envelope from Vasa, a conserved DEAD box protein and core nuage component that is required for piRNA production, and piRNA precursors immunoprecipitate with both UAP56 and Vasa. A uap56 point mutation that prevents UAP56 protein co-localization with Rhino also disrupts nuage organization, transposon silencing, and expression of dual strand piRNA clusters. By contrast, this allele significantly increases ectopic piRNAs from protein coding genes. We therefore propose that UAP56 and Vasa organize a piRNA-processing compartment that spans the nuclear envelope, increasing the efficiency and specificity of piRNA biogenesis. 3 replicates of each sample (uap56, vasa), total RNA samples hybridized to tiling array.
Project description:Germline-specific RNA helicase Spindle-E (Spn-E) is known to be essential for piRNA silencing in Drosophila that takes place mainly in the perinuclear nuage granules. Loss-of-function spn-E mutations lead to tandem Stellate genes derepression in the testes and retrotransposon mobilization in the ovaries. However, Spn-E functions in the piRNA pathway are still obscure. Analysis of total library of short RNAs from the testes of spn-E heterozygous flies revealed the presence of abundant piRNA ping-pong pairs originating from Su(Ste) transcripts. The abundance of these ping-pong pairs were sharply reduced in the library from the testes of spn-E mutants. Thus we found that ping-pong mechanism contributed to Su(Ste) piRNA generation in the testes. The lack of Spn-E caused a significant drop of protein levels of key ping-pong participants, Aubergine (Aub) and AGO3 proteins of PIWI subfamily, in the germline of both males and females, but did not disrupt of their assembly in nuage granules. We found that observed decline of the protein expression was not caused by suppression of aub and ago3 transcription as well as total transcription, indicating possible contribution of Spn-E to post-transcriptional regulation.
Project description:Belle has been known to be co-localized with piRNA-related proteins at the nuage of germline cells during Drosophila oogenesis. However, its role in piRNA biogenesis remains unclear. To reveal whether Belle is involved in regulating piRNA expression, we performed next-generation sequencing analysis of small non-coding RNAs on ovaries harvested from the wild type (W1118) and trans-heterozygous bel[74407/neo30] mutant. Small RNA-seq experiments were performed on three individual ovary samples with the same genotype. For piRNA expression analysis, we performed mapping of three sets of small RNA sequencing reads for each genotype to previously identified eight distinct piRNA clusters located in four different Drosophila chromosomes (from X to 4). Analysis of the piRNA expression profiling from these piRNA cluster loci indicates that some specific piRNA populations were either upregulated or downregulated in bel mutant ovaries compared with wild-type ovaries. Furthermore, we performed systematic analysis by mapping piRNA sequencing reads to sequences of all identified Drosophila transposable elements (TEs) to classify and measure piRNA reads based on their TE targets. Among 124 TE-classified piRNA populations, 9 and 20 of them were upregulated and downregulated (≥2 folds), respectively, in bel74407/neo30 mutant ovaries compared with those from wild-type ovaries. To examine the effect of the bel[74407/neo30] mutation on the ping-pong cycle for secondary piRNA biogenesis, analysis of the ping-pong signature of piRNAs specifically mapped to the retro-element Burdock was performed. The ping-pong signature for the generation of secondary piRNAs was not significantly altered in bel mutants compared with the wild type. These results, taken together, indicate that Bel is not required for primary and secondary piRNA biogenesis, but it is involved in regulating expression of specific subsets of piRNA populations.
Project description:The transposon silencing piRNAs are produced from precursors that are encoded by heterochromatic clusters and processed in the perinuclear nuage. We show that the Drosophila nuclear DEAD box protein UAP56, previously implicated in mRNA splicing and nuclear export, co-localizes with the cluster-associated HP1 homologue Rhino. Prominent nuclear foci containing Rhi and UAP56 localize directly across the nuclear envelope from Vasa, a conserved DEAD box protein and core nuage component that is required for piRNA production, and piRNA precursors immunoprecipitate with both UAP56 and Vasa. A uap56 point mutation that prevents UAP56 protein co-localization with Rhino also disrupts nuage organization, transposon silencing, and expression of dual strand piRNA clusters. By contrast, this allele significantly increases ectopic piRNAs from protein coding genes. We therefore propose that UAP56 and Vasa organize a piRNA-processing compartment that spans the nuclear envelope, increasing the efficiency and specificity of piRNA biogenesis. RNA-Seq: 3 samples examined: w1118, uap56 mutant un-oxidized, uap56 mutant oxidized RIP-Seq: 6 samples: UAP56-Venus, sz-Venus, and wild type w1 with anti-flag and input control each.
Project description:Small RNAs called PIWI -interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are essential for transposon control and fertility in animals. Primary processing is the small RNA biogenesis pathway that uses long single-stranded RNA precursors to generate millions of individual piRNAs, but the molecular mechanisms that identify a transcript as a precursor are poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that artificial tethering of the piRNA biogenesis factor, Armi, to a transcript is sufficient to direct it into primary processing in Drosophila ovaries and in an ovarian cell culture model. In the fly ovarian somatic follicle cells, the transcript becomes cleaved in a stepwise manner, with a 5ʹ→3ʹ directionality, liberating U1-containing ~24 nt piRNAs that are loaded into Piwi. Although uridines are preferred for generation of piRNA 5ʹ ends, processing takes place even in their absence, albeit at a lower efficiency. We show that recombinant Armi has 5ʹ→3ʹ helicase activity, and mutations that abolish it reduce piRNA processing. Another somatic piRNA pathway factor Yb, and an interactor of Armi, is also able to trigger piRNA biogenesis when tethered to a transcript. Tethering-mediated primary piRNA biogenesis is also functional in the fly ovarian germline and loads all the three PIWI proteins present in this environment. Our study finds a broad correlation between piRNA processing and localization of the tethered factors to the cytoplasmic perinuclear ribonucleoprotein granules called germline nuage or somatic Yb bodies. We conclude that transcripts bound by Armi and Yb are identified as piRNA precursors, resulting in localization to cytoplasmic processing granules and their subsequent engagement by the resident piRNA biogenesis machinery.
Project description:Drosophila Piwi-family proteins have been implicated in transposon control. Here, we examine piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) associated with each Drosophila Piwi protein and find that Piwi and Aubergine bind RNAs that are predominantly antisense to transposons, whereas Ago3 complexes contain predominantly sense piRNAs. As in mammals, the majority of Drosophila piRNAs are derived from discrete genomic loci. These loci comprise mainly defective transposon sequences, and some have previously been identified as master regulators of transposon activity. Our data suggest that heterochromatic piRNA loci interact with potentially active, euchromatic transposons to form an adaptive system for transposon control. Complementary relationships between sense and antisense piRNA populations suggest an amplification loop wherein each piRNA-directed cleavage event generates the 5’ end of a new piRNA. Thus, sense piRNAs, formed following cleavage of transposon mRNAs, may enhance production of antisense piRNAs, complementary to active elements, by directing cleavage of transcripts from master control loci. Keywords: small RNA libraries from Drosophila ovaries small RNAs (23-29nt) were isolated from total ovarian RNA or from immunopreciptated Piwi/Aubergine/Ago3 complexes. cDNA libraries were constructed after Pfeffer et al. 2005 (Nat. Methods) and sequenced at 454 Life Sciences. The used strain is OregonR. Only sequences matching the Release5 genome assembly (www.fruitfly.org) are considered.