piRNAs are a novel class of small noncoding RNAs that were recently identified in animal germ cells. This class of small noncoding RNAs is specifically associated with an evolutionarily conserved PIWI family proteins, which belong to the germline-specific members of the Argonaute protein family and are indispensable to germline development in animals. The PIWI/piRNA pathway has been deemed as an innate immune system that prevents mobile genetic elements from destabilizing DNA and that protects genome integrity in animal germ cells. By ribosome profiling using Miwi-null testes, we identified a group of ~600 mRNAs as likely direct piRNA targets for translational regulation in mouse spermatids. These results suggest that the mouse PIWI (MIWI)/piRNA is responsible for activating translation of a subset of spermiogenic mRNAs to coordinate with morphological transformation into elongated spermatids. SOURCE: Zonggui Chen (chenzonggui@whu.edu.cn) - YuZhou Wuhan University

Pluto Bioinformatics

GSE139399: Ribosome profiling study of Miwi-null testes