Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 123182, Russia.
Biochemistry (Mosc). 2013 Jun;78(6):585-91. doi: 10.1134/S0006297913060047.
PIWI proteins interacting with specific type of small RNAs (piRNAs) repress transposable elements in animals. Besides, they have been shown to participate in various cellular processes: in the regulation of heterochromatin formation including telomere structures, in the control of translation and the cell cycle, and in DNA rearrangements. PIWI proteins were first identified by their roles in the self-renewal of germline stem cells. PIWI protein functions are not limited to gonadogenesis, but the role in determining the fate of stem cells is their specific feature conserved throughout the evolution of animals. Molecular mechanisms underlying these processes are far from being understood. This review focuses on the role of PIWI proteins in the control of maintenance and proliferation of germinal stem cells and its relation to the known function of PIWI in transposon repression.
PIWI 蛋白与特定类型的小 RNA（piRNA）相互作用，抑制动物中转座元件的活性。此外，它们还被证明参与了多种细胞过程：参与异染色质形成的调控，包括端粒结构，参与翻译和细胞周期的调控，以及参与 DNA 重排。PIWI 蛋白最初是根据它们在生殖干细胞自我更新中的作用而被鉴定的。PIWI 蛋白的功能不仅限于性腺发生，但其在决定干细胞命运方面的作用是它们在动物进化过程中保守的特有特征。这些过程的分子机制还远未被理解。本文综述了 PIWI 蛋白在控制生殖干细胞的维持和增殖中的作用，以及它与 PIWI 已知的转座子抑制功能的关系。
