How Might Flukes and Tapeworms Maintain Genome Integrity Without a Canonical PiRNA Pathway?

Overview

Journal Trends Parasitol

Specialty Parasitology

Date 2014 Feb 4

PMID 24485046

Citations 24

Authors

Danielle E Skinner

Gabriel Rinaldi

Uriel Koziol

Klaus Brehm

Paul J Brindley

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Surveillance by RNA interference is central to controlling the mobilization of transposable elements (TEs). In stem cells, Piwi argonaute (Ago) proteins and associated proteins repress mobilization of TEs to maintain genome integrity. This defense mechanism targeting TEs is termed the Piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway. In this opinion article, we draw attention to the situation that the genomes of cestodes and trematodes have lost the piwi and vasa genes that are hallmark characters of the germline multipotency program. This absence of Piwi-like Agos and Vasa helicases prompts the question: how does the germline of these flatworms withstand mobilization of TEs? Here, we present an interpretation of mechanisms likely to defend the germline integrity of parasitic flatworms.

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