SNPC-1.3 is a sex-specific transcription factor that drives male piRNA expression in C. elegans.

Choi, Charlotte P, Tay, Rebecca J, Starostik, Margaret R, Feng, Suhua, Moresco, James J, Montgomery, Brooke E, Xu, Emily, Hammonds, Maya A, Schatz, Michael C, Montgomery, Taiowa A, Yates, John R, Jacobsen, Steven E, Kim, John K (February 2021) SNPC-1.3 is a sex-specific transcription factor that drives male piRNA expression in C. elegans. eLife, 10. pp. 1-35. ISSN 2050-084X

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Abstract

Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) play essential roles in silencing repetitive elements to promote fertility in metazoans. Studies in worms, flies, and mammals reveal that piRNAs are expressed in a sex-specific manner. However, the mechanisms underlying this sex-specific regulation are unknown. Here we identify SNPC-1.3, a male germline-enriched variant of a conserved subunit of the small nuclear RNA-activating protein complex, as a male-specific piRNA transcription factor in Caenorhabditis elegans. SNPC-1.3 colocalizes with the core piRNA transcription factor, SNPC-4, in nuclear foci of the male germline. Binding of SNPC-1.3 at male piRNA loci drives spermatogenic piRNA transcription and requires SNPC-4. Loss of snpc-1.3 leads to depletion of male piRNAs and defects in male-dependent fertility. Furthermore, TRA-1, a master regulator of sex determination, binds to the snpc-1.3 promoter and represses its expression during oogenesis. Loss of TRA-1 targeting causes ectopic expression of snpc-1.3 and male piRNAs during oogenesis. Thus, sexually dimorphic regulation of snpc-1.3 expression coordinates male and female piRNA expression during germline development.

Item Type:	Paper
Subjects:	bioinformatics organism description > animal > C elegans bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics organism description > animal organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > genes, structure and function > gene expression bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > genes, structure and function organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types > germ cell organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types > germ cell organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types > germ cell organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > protein structure, function, modification > protein types > transcription factor
CSHL Authors:	Schatz, Michael C.
Communities:	CSHL labs > Schatz lab
SWORD Depositor:	CSHL Elements
Depositing User:	CSHL Elements
Date:	15 February 2021
Date Deposited:	07 May 2021 17:55
Last Modified:	23 Jan 2024 19:14
PMCID:	PMC7884074
Related URLs:	Publisher
URI:	https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/40055

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