Small RNAs in the animal gonad: Guarding genomes and guiding development

Germ cells must safeguard, apportion, package, and deliver their genomes with exquisite precision to ensure proper reproduction and embryonic development. Classical genetic approaches have identified many genes controlling animal germ cell development, but only recently have some of these genes been...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The international journal of biochemistry & cell biology 2010-08, Vol.42 (8), p.1334-1347
Main Author: Lau, Nelson C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Diseases
Embryonic Development - genetics
Genes
Genome - genetics
Genomes
germline
Gonads
Gonads - metabolism
MicroRNAs - metabolism
miRNA
piRNA
Piwi
Reproduction
Ribonucleic acids
RNA Interference
RNA, Small Interfering - metabolism
siRNA
Spreads
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Summary:Germ cells must safeguard, apportion, package, and deliver their genomes with exquisite precision to ensure proper reproduction and embryonic development. Classical genetic approaches have identified many genes controlling animal germ cell development, but only recently have some of these genes been linked to the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway, a gene silencing mechanism centered on small regulatory RNAs. Germ cells contain microRNAs (miRNAs), endogenous siRNAs (endo-siRNAs), and Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs); these are bound by members of the Piwi/Argonaute protein family. piwi genes were known to specify germ cell development, but we now understand that mutations disrupting germline development can also affect small RNA accumulation. Small RNA studies in germ cells have revealed a surprising diversity of regulatory mechanisms and a unifying function for germline genes in controlling the spread of transposable elements. Future challenges will be to understand the production of germline small RNAs and to identify the full breadth of gene regulation by these RNAs. Progress in this area will likely impact biomedical goals of manipulating stem cells and preventing diseases caused by the transposition of mobile DNA elements.
ISSN:1357-2725
1878-5875
DOI:10.1016/j.biocel.2010.03.005