Sarkies, Peter ORCID: 0000-0003-0279-6199, Selkirk, Murray E., Jones, John T., Blok, Vivian, Boothby, Thomas, Goldstein, Bob ORCID: 0000-0001-6961-675X, Hanelt, Ben ORCID: 0000-0001-9298-7356, Ardila-Garcia, Alex, Fast, Naomi M., Schiffer, Phillip M., Kraus, Christopher, Taylor, Mark J., Koutsovoulos, Georgios ORCID: 0000-0003-3406-3715, Blaxter, Mark L. and Miska, Eric A. (2015). Ancient and Novel Small RNA Pathways Compensate for the Loss of piRNAs in Multiple Independent Nematode Lineages. PLoS. Biol., 13 (2). SAN FRANCISCO: PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE. ISSN 1545-7885

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Abstract

Small RNA pathways act at the front line of defence against transposable elements across the Eukaryota. In animals, Piwi interacting small RNAs (piRNAs) are a crucial arm of this defence. However, the evolutionary relationships among piRNAs and other small RNA pathways targeting transposable elements are poorly resolved. To address this question we sequenced small RNAs from multiple, diverse nematode species, producing the first phylum-wide analysis of how small RNA pathways evolve. Surprisingly, despite their prominence in Caenorhabditis elegans and closely related nematodes, piRNAs are absent in all other nematode lineages. We found that there are at least two evolutionarily distinct mechanisms that compensate for the absence of piRNAs, both involving RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRPs). Whilst one pathway is unique to nematodes, the second involves Dicer-dependent RNA-directed DNA methylation, hitherto unknown in animals, and bears striking similarity to transposon-control mechanisms in fungi and plants. Our results highlight the rapid, context-dependent evolution of small RNA pathways and suggest piRNAs in animals may have replaced an ancient eukaryotic RNA-dependent RNA polymerase pathway to control transposable elements.

Item Type: Journal Article
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCIDORCID Put Code
Sarkies, PeterUNSPECIFIEDorcid.org/0000-0003-0279-6199UNSPECIFIED
Selkirk, Murray E.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Jones, John T.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Blok, VivianUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Boothby, ThomasUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Goldstein, BobUNSPECIFIEDorcid.org/0000-0001-6961-675XUNSPECIFIED
Hanelt, BenUNSPECIFIEDorcid.org/0000-0001-9298-7356UNSPECIFIED
Ardila-Garcia, AlexUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Fast, Naomi M.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Schiffer, Phillip M.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Kraus, ChristopherUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Taylor, Mark J.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Koutsovoulos, GeorgiosUNSPECIFIEDorcid.org/0000-0003-3406-3715UNSPECIFIED
Blaxter, Mark L.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Miska, Eric A.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
URN: urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-414193
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1002061
Journal or Publication Title: PLoS. Biol.
Volume: 13
Number: 2
Date: 2015
Publisher: PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE
Place of Publication: SAN FRANCISCO
ISSN: 1545-7885
Language: English
Faculty: Unspecified
Divisions: Unspecified
Subjects: no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:
KeywordsLanguage
C-ELEGANS; CAENORHABDITIS-ELEGANS; FUNCTIONAL DIVERSIFICATION; PROCESSING CENTER; DNA METHYLATION; GENE-EXPRESSION; GENOME; REVEALS; SIRNAS; IDENTIFICATIONMultiple languages
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; BiologyMultiple languages
URI: http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/41419

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