AI Article Synopsis
- Transposable elements in eukaryotic genomes can offer evolutionary benefits, but if not controlled, they can harm genetic integrity across generations.
- Together with Piwi proteins, piRNAs play a crucial role in protecting the germ line from the harmful effects of these elements.
- Recent findings in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans reveal how the accurate production of piRNAs helps establish a defense mechanism against foreign genetic material, reinforcing the distinction between self and non-self DNA across generations.
Article Abstract
While most eukaryotic genomes contain transposable elements that can provide select evolutionary advantages to a given organism, failure to tightly control the mobility of such transposable elements can result in compromised genomic integrity of both parental and subsequent generations. Together with the Piwi subfamily of Argonaute proteins, small, non-coding Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) primarily function in the germ line to defend the genome against the potentially deleterious effects that can be caused by transposition. Here, we describe recent discoveries concerning the biogenesis and function of piRNAs in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, illuminating how the faithful production of these mature species can impart a robust defense mechanism for the germ line to counteract problems caused by foreign genetic elements across successive generations by contributing to the epigenetic memory of non-self vs. self.
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| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3928187 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.4161/epi.26647 | DOI Listing |
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