PUBLICATION
Hen1 is required for oocyte development and piRNA stability in zebrafish
- Authors
- Kamminga, L.M., Luteijn, M.J., den Broeder, M.J., Redl, S., Kaaij, L.J., Roovers, E.F., Ladurner, P., Berezikov, E., and Ketting, R.F.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-101004-33
- Date
- 2010
- Source
- The EMBO journal 29(21): 3688-3700 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- den Broeder, Marjo, Kamminga, Leonie, Ketting, René
- Keywords
- germ line, Hen1, piRNA, Piwi, zebrafish
- Datasets
- GEO:GSE33582
- MeSH Terms
-
- Retroelements
- Immunoprecipitation
- RNA, Small Interfering/chemistry*
- RNA, Small Interfering/genetics
- RNA, Small Interfering/metabolism*
- PubMed
- 20859253 Full text @ EMBO J.
Abstract
Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are germ line-specific small RNA molecules that have a function in genome defence and germ cell development. They associate with a specific class of Argonaute proteins, named Piwi, and function through an RNA interference-like mechanism. piRNAs carry a 2'-O-methyl modification at their 3' end, which is added by the Hen1 enzyme. We show that zebrafish hen1 is specifically expressed in germ cells and is essential for maintaining a female germ line, whereas it is dispensable in the testis. Hen1 protein localizes to nuage through its C-terminal domain, but is not required for nuage formation. In hen1 mutant testes, piRNAs become uridylated and adenylated. Uridylation frequency is highest on retro-transposon-derived piRNAs and is accompanied by decreased piRNA levels and mild derepression of transposon transcripts. Altogether, our data suggest the existence of a uridylation-mediated 3'-5' exonuclease activity acting on piRNAs in zebrafish germ cells, which is counteracted by nuage-bound Hen1 protein. This system discriminates between piRNA targets and is required for ovary development and fully efficient transposon silencing.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping