Project description:Transposable elements (TEs) are widely represented in eukaryotic genomes. Recently, a set of small RNAs known as rasRNAs (repeat-associated small RNAs) have been related to the down-regulation of TEs conferring a means to safeguard genome integrity. Two key members of the rasRNAs group are piRNAs and endo-siRNAs. In this study, we have performed a comparative analysis of piRNAs and endo-siRNAs present in mouse oocytes, spermatozoa and zygotes, identified by deep sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. Both piRNAs and endo-siRNAs regulate TEs in addition to other repetitive elements such as tRNAs and rRNAs, suggesting an alternative role of rasRNAs with regard to translation regulation. The detection of piRNAs and endo-siRNAs in sperm cells and revealed also in zygotes, hints to their potential delivery to oocytes during fertilization. However, a comparative assessment of the three cell types indicates that both piRNAs and endo-siRNAs are mainly maternally inherited. Finally, we have assessed the role of the different rasRNA molecules in connection with amplification processes by way of the M-bM-^@M-^\ping-pong cycleM-bM-^@M-^]. Our results suggest that the ping-pong cycle can act on other rasRNAs, such as tRNA- and rRNA-derived fragments, thus not only being restricted to TEs during gametogenesis, as was evidenced in spermatozoa, oocytes and zygotes. Comparative analysis from deep sequencing of piRNAs and endo-siRNAs in mouse oocytes, spermatozoa and zygotes
Project description:Transposable elements (TEs) are widely represented in eukaryotic genomes. Recently, a set of small RNAs known as rasRNAs (repeat-associated small RNAs) have been related to the down-regulation of TEs conferring a means to safeguard genome integrity. Two key members of the rasRNAs group are piRNAs and endo-siRNAs. In this study, we have performed a comparative analysis of piRNAs and endo-siRNAs present in mouse oocytes, spermatozoa and zygotes, identified by deep sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. Both piRNAs and endo-siRNAs regulate TEs in addition to other repetitive elements such as tRNAs and rRNAs, suggesting an alternative role of rasRNAs with regard to translation regulation. The detection of piRNAs and endo-siRNAs in sperm cells and revealed also in zygotes, hints to their potential delivery to oocytes during fertilization. However, a comparative assessment of the three cell types indicates that both piRNAs and endo-siRNAs are mainly maternally inherited. Finally, we have assessed the role of the different rasRNA molecules in connection with amplification processes by way of the “ping-pong cycle”. Our results suggest that the ping-pong cycle can act on other rasRNAs, such as tRNA- and rRNA-derived fragments, thus not only being restricted to TEs during gametogenesis, as was evidenced in spermatozoa, oocytes and zygotes.
Project description:The small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) are considered as postranscriptional key regulators of male germ cell development. In addition to microRNAs (miRNAs) and PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), other sncRNAs generated from small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs), tRNAs or rRNAs processing may also play important regulatory roles in spermatogenesis. By next generation sequencing (NGS), we characterized the different sncRNA populations detected at three milestone stages in male germ differentiation: primordial germ cells (PGCs) at 13.5 dpc, pubertal spermatogonia cells, and mature spermatozoa. In order to assess the potential transmission of the sncRNAs through the mature spermatozoa during fertilization, the sncRNA population detected in male germ cells was also compared with sncRNAs detected in unfertilized mouse oocytes and zygotes. Combining the data obtained by NGS and microarrays from whole PGC and spermatogonia transcriptome, we defined the potential regulatory roles of specific miRNAs and their validated targets. Similar to miRNAs, both the small RNAs derived from snoRNAs and the piRNAs, could be involved in the postranscriptional regulation of mRNA transcripts during the male germ development. Finally, our results strongly suggest that the small RNAs-derived from tRNAs and rRNAs are interacting with PIWI proteins, and specifically with MILI. These new classes of piRNAs are not generated by the ping-pong pathway and could be the source of primary piRNAs. Comparative analysis from deep sequencing of piRNAs and endo-siRNAs in mouse oocytes, spermatozoa and zygotes
Project description:Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) direct RNA interference (RNAi) in eukaryotes. In flies, somatic cells produce siRNAs from exogenous double-stranded RNA as a defense against viral infection. Here, we identify 21-nt long, endogenous siRNAs (endo-siRNAs) corresponding to transposons and heterochromatic sequences in the somatic cells of Drosophila melanogaster. We also detected endo-siRNAs complementary to mRNAs: these siRNAs disproportionately mapped to the complementary regions of overlapping mRNAs predicted to form dsRNA in vivo. Normal accumulation of somatic endo-siRNAs requires the siRNA-generating ribonuclease, Dicer-2, and the RNAi effector protein, Ago2. We propose that endo-siRNAs generated by the fly RNAi pathway silence selfish genetic elements in the soma much as piRNAs do in the germ line. Keywords: Small RNA detection and quantification.
Project description:Colonization of genomes by a new selfish genetic element is detrimental to the host species and must lead to an efficient, repressive response. In vertebrates as well as in Drosophila, piRNAs repress transposons in the germ line while endogenous siRNAs take on this role in somatic cells. For endo-siRNAs as well as for piRNAs, it is unclear how an efficient response can be initiated de novo. Our experiments establish that the endo-siRNA pathway will target artificially introduced sequences without the need for a pre-existing template in the genome. This response is also triggered in transiently transfected cells, thus genomic integration is not essential. Deep sequencing revealed that corresponding endo-siRNAs are generated throughout the sequence, but preferentially from transcribed regions.
Project description:nbr/CG9247 gene regulates the length of a subset of miRNAs. It is not clear whether Nbr affects the length of other classes of small RNAs, such as piRNAs and endo-siRNAs. To address this, we compared small RNA population in wild-type, Df(2L)BSC312/+, nbr null (nbrf02257/Df(2L)BSC312), (nbr null; pCaSper-nbr (WT)), and (nbr null; pCaSper-nbr (D435A,E437A)). This approach revealed that, in addition to miRNAs, piRNAs and endo-siRNAs were also affected in their length in nbr null and nbr null; pCaSper-nbr (D435A,E437A).
Project description:Small RNAs mediate gene silencing by binding Argonaute/Piwi proteins to regulate target RNAs. Here we describe small RNA profiling of the adult testes of Callithrix jacchus, the common marmoset. The most abundant class of small RNAs in the adult testis was piRNAs, while 353 novel miRNAs but few endo-siRNAs were also identified. MARWI, a marmoset homolog of mouse MIWI and a very abundant PIWI in adult testes, associates with piRNAs that show characteristics of mouse pachytene piRNAs. As in other mammals, most marmoset piRNAs are derived from conserved clustered regions in the genome, which are annotated as intergenic regions. However, some of these piRNA cluster regions contain antisense-orientated pseudogenes, suggesting regulation of parental functional protein-coding genes. More piRNAs map to transposable element (TE) subfamilies when they have copies in piRNA clusters. In addition, the strand-bias observed for piRNAs mapped to each TE subfamily correlates with the polarity of copies inserted in clusters. These findings suggest that pachytene piRNA clusters determine the abundance and strand-bias of TE-derived piRNAs, and also regulate protein-coding genes via pseudogene-derived piRNAs.
Project description:Colonization of genomes by a new selfish genetic element is detrimental to the host species and must lead to an efficient, repressive response. In vertebrates as well as in Drosophila, piRNAs repress transposons in the germ line while endogenous siRNAs take on this role in somatic cells. For endo-siRNAs as well as for piRNAs, it is unclear how an efficient response can be initiated de novo. Our experiments establish that the endo-siRNA pathway will target artificially introduced sequences without the need for a pre-existing template in the genome. This response is also triggered in transiently transfected cells, thus genomic integration is not essential. Deep sequencing revealed that corresponding endo-siRNAs are generated throughout the sequence, but preferentially from transcribed regions. Examination of 3 different cell lines.
Project description:Small RNAs mediate gene silencing by binding Argonaute/Piwi proteins to regulate target RNAs. Here we describe small RNA profiling of the adult testes of Callithrix jacchus, the common marmoset. The most abundant class of small RNAs in the adult testis was piRNAs, while 353 novel miRNAs but few endo-siRNAs were also identified. MARWI, a marmoset homolog of mouse MIWI and a very abundant PIWI in adult testes, associates with piRNAs that show characteristics of mouse pachytene piRNAs. As in other mammals, most marmoset piRNAs are derived from conserved clustered regions in the genome, which are annotated as intergenic regions. However, some of these piRNA cluster regions contain antisense-orientated pseudogenes, suggesting regulation of parental functional protein-coding genes. More piRNAs map to transposable element (TE) subfamilies when they have copies in piRNA clusters. In addition, the strand-bias observed for piRNAs mapped to each TE subfamily correlates with the polarity of copies inserted in clusters. These findings suggest that pachytene piRNA clusters determine the abundance and strand-bias of TE-derived piRNAs, and also regulate protein-coding genes via pseudogene-derived piRNAs. small RNA levels in the adult marmoset testis, and MARWI-IP small RNA levels and RNA levels from the adult marmoset testis with two replicates.
Project description:We aim to comprehensively characterize the small RNA population in oocytes Pseudogenes populate the mammalian genome as remnants of artifactual incorporation of coding mRNAs into transposon pathways 1. Here, we show that a subset of pseudogenes generates endogenous small interfering RNAs (endo-siRNAs) in mouse oocytes. In these cases, endo-siRNAs are often processed from double-stranded RNAs formed by hybridization of spliced transcripts from protein coding genes to antisense transcripts from homologous pseudogenes. In at least one case, an inverted repeat pseudogene gives rise to abundant small RNAs directly. A second class of endo-siRNAs may enforce repression of mobile genetic elements, acting in concert with piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs). Loss of Dicer increases expression of endo-siRNA targets, demonstrating the regulatory activity of these small RNAs. Our findings provide a function for pseudogenes in regulating gene expression via the RNAi pathway and may, in part, explain the evolutionary pressure to conserve Argonaute-mediated catalysis in mammals. Keywords: small RNAs profile