Kirino Yohei, Mourelatos Zissimos
RNA. 2007 Sep;13(9):1397-401. doi: 10.1261/rna.659307. Epub 2007 Jul 24.
Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are a novel class of small regulatory RNAs that are expressed specifically and abundantly in germ cells. Mammalian piRNAs are 26-31 nucleotides in length and bind to Piwi proteins, but their function and biogenesis remain elusive. We previously showed that mammalian piRNAs are 2'-O-methylated at their 3' termini. The biosynthetic mechanism and function of this modification is unknown. Here, we report that the mouse homolog (mHEN1) of HEN1, a plant microRNA (miRNA) 2'-O-methyltransferase, is expressed specifically in testis and methylates 3' termini of piRNAs in vitro. These findings provide insight into the biogenesis of piRNAs.
Piwi相互作用RNA(piRNA)是一类新型的小调节RNA,在生殖细胞中特异性且大量表达。哺乳动物的piRNA长度为26 - 31个核苷酸,并与Piwi蛋白结合,但其功能和生物合成机制仍不清楚。我们之前表明,哺乳动物的piRNA在其3'末端发生2'-O-甲基化。这种修饰的生物合成机制和功能尚不清楚。在这里,我们报道植物微小RNA(miRNA)2'-O-甲基转移酶HEN1的小鼠同源物(mHEN1)在睾丸中特异性表达,并在体外使piRNA的3'末端甲基化。这些发现为piRNA的生物合成提供了见解。