@article{f5388138b283455a83c9beeb8aef2824,
title = "Piwi-interacting RNAs protect DNA against loss during oxytricha genome rearrangement",
abstract = "Genome duality in ciliated protozoa offers a unique system to showcase their epigenome as a model of inheritance. In Oxytricha, the somatic genome is responsible for vegetative growth, whereas the germline contributes DNA to the next sexual generation. Somatic nuclear development removes all transposons and other so-called {"}junk{"} DNA, which comprise ∼95% of the germline. We demonstrate that Piwi-interacting small RNAs (piRNAs) from the maternal nucleus can specify genomic regions for retention in this process. Oxytricha piRNAs map primarily to the somatic genome, representing the ∼5% of the germline that is retained. Furthermore, injection of synthetic piRNAs corresponding to normally deleted regions leads to their retention in later generations. Our findings highlight small RNAs as powerful transgenerational carriers of epigenetic information for genome programming.",
author = "Wenwen Fang and Xing Wang and Bracht, {John R.} and Mariusz Nowacki and Landweber, {Laura F.}",
note = "Funding Information: We thank D. Perlman, B. Zee, and B. Garcia for mass spectrometry validation of the Otiwi1 antibody; J. Buckles, W. Wang, D. Storton, and L. Parsons for Illumina sequencing; L. Li and A.D. Goldman for assistance with phylogenetic analysis; X. Chen for searching the micronuclear genome assembly for junction-spanning piRNAs; A. Chen, K. Mochizuki, and M. Couvillion for sharing RNA IP protocols; E. Swart, J. Bloom, and P. Jiang for advice on computational analysis of deep-sequencing results; J. Postberg and J. Goodhouse for immunofluorescence advice; P. Andolfatto, J. Swan, J. Khurana, P. Schedl, and L. Beh for discussion or comments on the manuscript; and J. Wang for help with Oxytricha cell culture. We also thank three anonymous referees for valuable suggestions. This study was supported by NIH grant GM59708 and NSF grants 0923810 and 0900544 (to L.F.L.) and a DOD predoctoral fellowship W81XWH-10-1-0122 (to W.F.). ",
year = "2012",
month = dec,
day = "7",
doi = "10.1016/j.cell.2012.10.045",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "151",
pages = "1243--1255",
journal = "Cell",
issn = "0092-8674",
publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",
number = "6",
}