Diversity of the piRNA pathway for nonself silencing: worm-specific piRNA biogenesis factors
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
Abstract
The PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway protects animal germline cells from transposable elements and other genomic invaders. Although the genome defense function of piRNAs has been well established, the mechanisms of their biogenesis remain poorly understood. In this issue of Genes & Development, three groups identify novel factors required for piRNA biogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans. These works greatly expand our understanding of the piRNA pathway in worms, highlighting both its shared and its unique properties.
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↵1 Corresponding author
E-mail tomari{at}iam.u-tokyo.ac.jp
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Article is online at http://www.genesdev.org/cgi/doi/10.1101/gad.241323.114.
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