Laboratoire Biologie du Développement, UMR7622, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Paris, France.
GReD, Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, INSERM, BP 10448, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
Elife. 2019 Mar 15;8:e39842. doi: 10.7554/eLife.39842.
Transposable element (TE) activity is repressed in animal gonads by PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) produced by piRNA clusters. Current models in flies propose that germinal piRNA clusters are functionally defined by the maternal inheritance of piRNAs produced during the previous generation. Taking advantage of an inactive, but ready to go, cluster of -element derived transgene insertions in , we show here that raising flies at high temperature (29°C) instead of 25°C triggers the stable conversion of this locus from inactive into actively producing functional piRNAs. The increase of antisense transcripts from the cluster at 29°C combined with the requirement of transcription of euchromatic homologous sequences, suggests a role of double stranded RNA in the production of piRNAs. This report describes the first case of the establishment of an active piRNA cluster by environmental changes in the absence of maternal inheritance of homologous piRNAs.
This article has been through an editorial process in which the authors decide how to respond to the issues raised during peer review. The Reviewing Editor's assessment is that all the issues have been addressed (see decision letter).
转座元件 (TE) 的活性在动物性腺中受到由 piRNA 簇产生的 PIWI 相互作用 RNA (piRNAs) 的抑制。目前在果蝇中的模型提出，生殖 piRNA 簇的功能是由上一代产生的 piRNAs 的母系遗传来定义的。利用 -element 衍生的转基因插入物的一个不活跃但随时可用的簇中的优势，我们在这里表明，在 29°C 而不是 25°C 下饲养果蝇会触发该基因座从非活性状态稳定转化为主动产生功能性 piRNAs。在 29°C 时，该簇的反义转录物增加，加上需要转录常染色质同源序列，这表明双链 RNA 在 piRNA 的产生中发挥作用。本报告描述了第一个通过环境变化在没有同源 piRNAs 的母系遗传的情况下建立活跃的 piRNA 簇的案例。
本文已经过编辑过程，作者在该过程中决定如何处理同行评审期间提出的问题。审稿人的评估是所有问题都已得到解决（见评审意见）。
