Ku Hsueh-Yen, Lin Haifan
Yale Stem Cell Center and Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
Natl Sci Rev. 2014 Jun;1(2):205-218. doi: 10.1093/nsr/nwu014.
PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are a complex class of small non-coding RNAs that are mostly 24-32 nucleotides in length and composed of at least hundreds of thousands of species that specifically interact with the PIWI protein subfamily of the ARGONAUTE family. Recent studies revealed that PIWI proteins interact with a number of proteins, especially the TUDOR-domain-containing proteins, to regulate piRNA biogenesis and regulatory function. Current research also provides evidence that PIWI proteins and piRNAs are not only crucial for transposon silencing in the germline, but also mediate novel mechanisms of epigenetic programming, DNA rearrangements, mRNA turnover, and translational control both in the germline and in the soma. These new discoveries begin to reveal an exciting new dimension of gene regulation in the cell.
PIWI相互作用RNA（piRNA）是一类复杂的小非编码RNA，其长度大多为24 - 32个核苷酸，由至少数十万种特异性与AGO蛋白家族的PIWI蛋白亚家族相互作用的分子组成。最近的研究表明，PIWI蛋白与许多蛋白质相互作用，尤其是含TUDOR结构域的蛋白质，以调节piRNA的生物合成和调控功能。目前的研究还提供证据表明，PIWI蛋白和piRNA不仅对生殖系中转座子沉默至关重要，而且在生殖系和体细胞中都介导表观遗传编程、DNA重排、mRNA周转和翻译控制的新机制。这些新发现开始揭示细胞中基因调控一个令人兴奋的新层面。
