Ohara Tomoya, Sakaguchi Yuriko, Suzuki Takeo, Ueda Hiroki, Miyauchi Kenjyo, Suzuki Tsutomu
Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2007 Apr;14(4):349-50. doi: 10.1038/nsmb1220. Epub 2007 Mar 25.
Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are a germline-specific class of small noncoding RNAs that are essential for spermatogenesis, but their function and biogenesis remain elusive. Here we report a post-transcriptional modification of mouse piRNAs. Mass spectrometric analysis reveals that the piRNAs tested are fully modified by 2'-O-methylation at their 3' termini. This observation may provide a clue to the biogenesis and function of piRNAs in spermatogenesis.
Piwi相互作用RNA（piRNA）是一类生殖系特异性的小非编码RNA，对精子发生至关重要，但其功能和生物合成仍不清楚。在此，我们报道了小鼠piRNA的一种转录后修饰。质谱分析显示，所测试的piRNA在其3'末端完全被2'-O-甲基化修饰。这一观察结果可能为精子发生过程中piRNA的生物合成和功能提供线索。
