Distinct sets of PIWI proteins produce arbovirus and transposon-derived piRNAs in Aedes aegypti mosquito cells

The PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway is essential for transposon silencing in many model organisms. Its remarkable efficiency relies on a sophisticated amplification mechanism known as the ping-pong loop. In Alphavirus-infected Aedes mosquitoes, piRNAs with sequence features that suggest ping-po...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nucleic acids research 2015-07, Vol.43 (13), p.6545-6556
Main Authors: Miesen, Pascal, Girardi, Erika, van Rij, Ronald P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aedes - metabolism
Aedes - virology
Aedes aegypti
Animals
Arbovirus
Arboviruses - genetics
Argonaute Proteins - antagonists & inhibitors
Argonaute Proteins - physiology
Cell Line
DNA Transposable Elements
Insect Proteins - antagonists & inhibitors
Insect Proteins - physiology
RNA
RNA, Small Interfering - genetics
RNA, Small Interfering - metabolism
RNA, Viral - genetics
RNA, Viral - metabolism
Sindbis virus
Sindbis Virus - genetics
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Summary:The PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway is essential for transposon silencing in many model organisms. Its remarkable efficiency relies on a sophisticated amplification mechanism known as the ping-pong loop. In Alphavirus-infected Aedes mosquitoes, piRNAs with sequence features that suggest ping-pong-dependent biogenesis are produced from viral RNA. The PIWI family in Aedes mosquitoes is expanded when compared to other model organisms, raising the possibility that individual PIWI proteins have functionally diversified in these insects. Here, we show that Piwi5 and Ago3, but none of the other PIWI family members, are essential for piRNA biogenesis from Sindbis virus RNA in infected Aedes aegypti cells. In contrast, the production of piRNAs from transposons relies on a more versatile set of PIWI proteins, some of which do not contribute to viral piRNA biogenesis. These results indicate that functional specialization allows distinct mosquito PIWI proteins to process RNA from different endogenous and exogenous sources.
ISSN:0305-1048
1362-4962
DOI:10.1093/nar/gkv590