IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v14y2023i1d10.1038_s41467-023-42787-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Unistrand piRNA clusters are an evolutionarily conserved mechanism to suppress endogenous retroviruses across the Drosophila genus

Author

Listed:
  • Jasper Lopik

    (University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre)

  • Azad Alizada

    (University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre)

  • Maria-Anna Trapotsi

    (University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre)

  • Gregory J. Hannon

    (University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre)

  • Susanne Bornelöv

    (University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre)

  • Benjamin Czech Nicholson

    (University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre)

Abstract

The PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway prevents endogenous genomic parasites, i.e. transposable elements, from damaging the genetic material of animal gonadal cells. Specific regions in the genome, called piRNA clusters, are thought to define each species’ piRNA repertoire and therefore its capacity to recognize and silence specific transposon families. The unistrand cluster flamenco (flam) is essential in the somatic compartment of the Drosophila ovary to restrict Gypsy-family transposons from infecting the neighbouring germ cells. Disruption of flam results in transposon de-repression and sterility, yet it remains unknown whether this silencing mechanism is present more widely. Here, we systematically characterise 119 Drosophila species and identify five additional flam-like clusters separated by up to 45 million years of evolution. Small RNA-sequencing validated these as bona-fide unistrand piRNA clusters expressed in somatic cells of the ovary, where they selectively target transposons of the Gypsy family. Together, our study provides compelling evidence of a widely conserved transposon silencing mechanism that co-evolved with virus-like Gypsy-family transposons.

Suggested Citation

  • Jasper Lopik & Azad Alizada & Maria-Anna Trapotsi & Gregory J. Hannon & Susanne Bornelöv & Benjamin Czech Nicholson, 2023. "Unistrand piRNA clusters are an evolutionarily conserved mechanism to suppress endogenous retroviruses across the Drosophila genus," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-17, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-42787-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42787-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-42787-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-023-42787-1?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Peter Refsing Andersen & Laszlo Tirian & Milica Vunjak & Julius Brennecke, 2017. "A heterochromatin-dependent transcription machinery drives piRNA expression," Nature, Nature, vol. 549(7670), pages 54-59, September.
    2. Marianne Yoth & Stéphanie Maupetit-Méhouas & Abdou Akkouche & Nathalie Gueguen & Benjamin Bertin & Silke Jensen & Emilie Brasset, 2023. "Reactivation of a somatic errantivirus and germline invasion in Drosophila ovaries," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-15, December.
    3. Felipe Karam Teixeira & Martyna Okuniewska & Colin D. Malone & Rémi-Xavier Coux & Donald C. Rio & Ruth Lehmann, 2017. "piRNA-mediated regulation of transposon alternative splicing in the soma and germ line," Nature, Nature, vol. 552(7684), pages 268-272, December.
    4. Cynthia Dennis & Emilie Brasset & Arpita Sarkar & Chantal Vaury, 2016. "Export of piRNA precursors by EJC triggers assembly of cytoplasmic Yb-body in Drosophila," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-12, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yu H. Sun & Ruoqiao Huiyi Wang & Khai Du & Jiang Zhu & Jihong Zheng & Li Huitong Xie & Amanda A. Pereira & Chao Zhang & Emiliano P. Ricci & Xin Zhiguo Li, 2021. "Coupled protein synthesis and ribosome-guided piRNA processing on mRNAs," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-19, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-42787-1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.