PUBLICATION
Zili is required for germ cell differentiation and meiosis in zebrafish
- Authors
- Houwing, S., Berezikov, E., and Ketting, R.F.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-081008-11
- Date
- 2008
- Source
- The EMBO journal 27(20): 2702-2711 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Houwing, Saskia, Ketting, René
- Keywords
- germ cell differentiation, meiosis, piRNAs, Piwi, zebrafish
- Datasets
- GEO:GSE12547
- MeSH Terms
-
- Alleles
- Animals
- Cell Differentiation
- Cell Nucleus/metabolism
- Cloning, Molecular
- Cytoplasm/metabolism
- DNA Transposable Elements
- Germ Cells/cytology*
- Meiosis*
- Models, Biological
- Models, Genetic
- RNA, Small Interfering/metabolism*
- RNA-Binding Proteins/genetics
- RNA-Binding Proteins/physiology*
- Zebrafish
- Zebrafish Proteins/genetics
- Zebrafish Proteins/physiology*
- PubMed
- 18833190 Full text @ EMBO J.
Citation
Houwing, S., Berezikov, E., and Ketting, R.F. (2008) Zili is required for germ cell differentiation and meiosis in zebrafish. The EMBO journal. 27(20):2702-2711.
Abstract
Small RNAs exert an effect through diverse RNA interference pathways to transcriptionally or post-transcriptionally silence their targets. The Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) represent a germline-specific small RNA pathway where Piwi proteins themselves are thought to mediate piRNA biosynthesis. Here, we provide strong evidence for a piRNA amplification loop in zebrafish, in which Ziwi and Zili bind piRNAs of opposite polarity. Furthermore, we describe a function for Zili in transposon defense and germ cell differentiation, as well as a crucial function in meiosis, significantly extending the function of Piwi proteins beyond the control of transposable elements in vertebrates.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping