Project description:In germ cells, piRNAs are amplified through the Ping-Pong cycle that depends on reciprocal Slicer-mediated target RNA cleavage by two PIWI members. A germ-specific DEAD-box protein Vasa is required for the process. However, Vasa’s function is poorly understood. Here, we show that target RNAs cleaved by a Bombyx mori (silkworm) PIWI, Siwi, remain to be bound with the protein upon cleavage, but are released in the presence of Vasa in B. mori (BmVasa) and ATP. Under normal conditions, BmVasa co-purifies with Siwi, but not with second B. mori PIWI BmAgo3. However, when BmVasa loses the ATP-binding and RNA-unwinding activities, BmVasa avidly associates with Siwi and BmAgo3, which contains transposon transcripts predominantly in sense orientation, the sources of BmAgo3-piRNAs. Without BmVasa, BmAgo3 is devoid of piRNAs. Thus, BmVasa actively releases target RNAs from Siwi, upon its cleavage, to urge BmAgo3-piRNA complex formation in the Ping-Pong cycle, enabling continuous supply of piRNAs in germ cells.
Project description:RNAs associating with PIWI proteins were Immunoisolated from BmN4 cells. Sequence libraries were generated with NEBNext Small RNA Library Prep Set for Illumina(NEB). Libraries were sequenced using Illumina MiSeq (single-end, 51 cycles).
Project description:A mass spectrometry-based proteomics analysis was performed to study the protein binders of GTSF1L in germ cell culture (BmN4; ovary-derived) of Bombyx mori. Anti-HA pull-downs were performed in BmN4 cells transfected with the HA-BmGtsf1L plasmid or the HA-eGFP control plasmid. Proteins were digested in-gel by trypsin. The resultant peptides were then dimethyl labelled and combined. Peptides were measured on a Q Exactive Plus Orbitrap mass spectrometer.
Project description:RNAs associating with PIWI proteins were Immunoisolated from BmN4 cells. Sequence libraries were generated with NEBNext Small RNA Library Prep Set for Illumina(NEB). Libraries were sequenced using Illumina MiSeq (single-end, 51 cycles).
Project description:Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are involved in chromatin modifications for maintaining gene repression that play important roles in the regulation of gene expression, tumorigenesis, chromosome X-inactivation, and genomic imprinting in Drosophila melanogaster, mammals, and even plants. PcG proteins act together in three multimeric complexes, Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1), Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), and Pleiohomeotic repressive complex (PhoRC), to repress transcription of the target genes. Here, we identified Polycomb target genes in Bombyx mori using genome-wide expression screening based on the knockdown of the BmSCE, BmESC, BmPHO, or BmSCM gene, which represent the distinct complexes. As a result, most genes were up-regulated after knocking down these four PcG genes, which indicated a potential epigenetic mechanism on the regulation of these genes expression by the PcG system. The further analysis of our data will provide some important information for the regulation mediated by PcG proteins in Bombyx mori. Transcription profiling experiments, knockdowns of four Polycomb genes (four samples) in silkworm BmN4-SID1 cells, were analyzed. Dual-channel experiments, with test samples labeled by Cy5 and common reference samples labeled by Cy3. The common reference sample, knockdown of the EGFP gene in BmN4-SID1 cells, was used for data normalization. One biological replicate. No dye-swaps.