Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs)

doi:10.1017/CBO9780511541766.040

37 - Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs)

from VI - MicroRNAs in stem cell development

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 August 2009

Ergin Beyret and

Haifan Lin

Edited by

Krishnarao Appasani

Foreword by

Sidney Altman and

Victor R. Ambros

Show author details

Ergin Beyret: Affiliation:
Department of Cell Biology and Yale Stem Cell Center Yale University School of Medicine 333 Cedar Street, SHM I-213 New Haven, CT 06511 USA
Haifan Lin: Affiliation:
Department of Cell Biology and Yale Stem Cell Center Yale University School of Medicine 333 Cedar Street, SHM I-213 New Haven, CT 06511 USA

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Summary

Introduction

Small, non-coding RNAs of 18–32 nucleotides have emerged as evolutionarily conserved potent regulators of gene expression in the past decade. Studies of the function of small RNAs demonstrated their pivotal roles in various aspects of cell and developmental biology, as detailed in the previous chapters of this book. As the newest citizens of the small RNA world, Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) of mostly 26–32 nucleotides in length were discovered in 2006 in mammalian testes (Aravin et al., 2006; Girard et al., 2006; Grivna et al., 2006a; Lau et al., 2006; Watanabe et al., 2006). They are so named because they interact with the Piwi sub-family proteins of the evolutionary conserved Argonaute/Piwi protein family. piRNAs also exist in large numbers in fly (Brennecke et al., 2007; Gunawardane et al., 2007) and fish gonads (Houwing et al., 2007), implying the evolutionary conservation of their function. They differ from miRNAs and siRNAs in size, biogenesis, expression pattern, and possibly function. Although still remaining to be fully elucidated, clues about their biogenesis and function have started emerging. There are over 60 000 different species of piRNA identified so far, much exceeding the several hundreds of miRNAs that have been discovered. This fascinating complexity of piRNAs provides unprecedented opportunities for unraveling novel and diverse mechanisms of small RNA-mediated gene regulation. This chapter will summarize the latest progress on piRNAs.

Ago/Piwi protein family comprises two sub-families

Any description of small RNAs would be incomplete without an account of their protein partners: the Argonaute/Piwi (Ago/Piwi) family proteins.

Type: Chapter
Information: MicroRNAs
From Basic Science to Disease Biology
, pp. 497 - 511

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511541766.040 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2007

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