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Molecular insights into the Drosophila piRNA pathway via systematic ReLo protein interaction screening and structure prediction

piRNA-bound PIWI proteins mediate the silencing of transposons at both the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels, processes that are critical for genome integrity and fertility in animals. Although numerous additional proteins are known to be essential for piRNA biogenesis and function in...

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Main Authors: Salgania, Harpreet Kaur (Author) , Metz, Jutta (Author) , Lingren, Eric (Author) , Bleischwitz, Christian (Author) , Hauser, David (Author) , Máté, Katalin Oliveras (Author) , Bollack, Daniel (Author) , Lahr, Felix (Author) , Bruckmann, Astrid (Author) , Garbelyanski, Asen (Author) , Jeske, Mandy (Author)
Format: Article (Journal)
Language:English
Published: 28 October 2025
In: Nucleic acids research
Year: 2025, Volume: 53, Issue: 19, Pages: 1-21
ISSN:1362-4962
DOI:10.1093/nar/gkaf993
Online Access:Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkaf993
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Author Notes:Harpreet Kaur Salgania, Jutta Metz, Eric Lingren, Christian Bleischwitz, David Hauser, Katalin Oliveras Máté, Daniel Bollack, Felix Lahr, Astrid Bruckmann, Asen Garbelyanski, Mandy Jeske
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Summary:piRNA-bound PIWI proteins mediate the silencing of transposons at both the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels, processes that are critical for genome integrity and fertility in animals. Although numerous additional proteins are known to be essential for piRNA biogenesis and function in Drosophila and other animals, their molecular and mechanistic functions remain largely unknown. To advance our molecular understanding of the Drosophila piRNA pathway, we used a cell culture-based protein-protein interaction assay called ReLo to perform a systematic pairwise interaction screen involving 22 factors operating in the cytoplasm, including PIWI proteins, Tudor domain-containing proteins (TDRDs), RNA helicases, and mitochondrial surface proteins. Through additional ReLo interaction testing and structural modeling using AlphaFold, we have characterized six protein complexes at the molecular and structural levels. Both results of this screen and our combined methodological approach will likely serve as a valuable resource for future investigations into the molecular mechanisms of the piRNA biogenesis and function.
Item Description:Veröffentlicht: 14. Oktober 2025
Gesehen am 02.02.2026
Physical Description:Online Resource
ISSN:1362-4962
DOI:10.1093/nar/gkaf993

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