AI Article Synopsis
- Piwi proteins are a specific subclass of Argonaute proteins found in vertebrate germ cells, with zebrafish Piwi (Ziwi) being vital for germ cell development.
- Loss of Ziwi function leads to increased apoptosis, resulting in a gradual loss of germ cells during development, while reduced function causes abnormal cell death in adults.
- Zebrafish also produce piRNAs in both ovaries and testes, predominantly derived from transposons, suggesting their role in silencing repetitive genetic elements, and piRNAs operate independently of the Dicer enzyme.
Article Abstract
Piwi proteins specify an animal-specific subclass of the Argonaute family that, in vertebrates, is specifically expressed in germ cells. We demonstrate that zebrafish Piwi (Ziwi) is expressed in both the male and the female gonad and is a component of a germline-specifying structure called nuage. Loss of Ziwi function results in a progressive loss of germ cells due to apoptosis during larval development. In animals that have reduced Ziwi function, germ cells are maintained but display abnormal levels of apoptosis in adults. In mammals, Piwi proteins associate with approximately 29-nucleotide-long, testis-specific RNA molecules called piRNAs. Here we show that zebrafish piRNAs are present in both ovary and testis. Many of these are derived from transposons, implicating a role for piRNAs in the silencing of repetitive elements in vertebrates. Furthermore, we show that piRNAs are Dicer independent and that their 3' end likely carries a 2'O-Methyl modification.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2007.03.026 | DOI Listing |
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