title: DegrAAAded into silence.
abstract: In fission yeast, RNA interference (RNAi)-dependent heterochromatin formation silences transgenes inserted at centromeres. In this issue, Bühler et al. (2007) demonstrate that the RNAi machinery directly targets transgene transcripts. Furthermore, they link transgene silencing to a protein complex resembling the TRAMP complex of budding yeast, which promotes transcript degradation via the exosome. Thus, RNAi-independent transcript degradation may also contribute to heterochromatin gene silencing.
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Kings Buildings, Michael Swann Building, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JR, UK.
authors.forename: Elizabeth H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Bayne
authors.forename: Sharon A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Robin C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Allshire
mesh_terms: D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D006570:Heterochromatin / Q000235:genetics; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D011062:Polynucleotide Adenylyltransferase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D034622:RNA Interference / Q000502:physiology*; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D019076:Transgenes / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D006570:Heterochromatin; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins; C509157:Cid14 protein, S pombe; D011062:Polynucleotide Adenylyltransferase