PIWI goes solo in the soma.
The recently discovered piRNA pathway serves to protect the genome from transposon activity in the germline. Now Li et al. and Malone et al. in a recent issue of Cell show that the piRNAs are made by more than one means and that their defensive function extends into the germline's circumjacent soma.
Reynolds
Steven H
SH
Department of Biochemistry, Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
Ruohola-Baker
Hannele
H
D000818:Animals; D060565:Argonaute Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D049750:Genome, Insect; D010448:Peptide Initiation Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018626:Retroelements
C518392:AGO3 protein, Drosophila; D060565:Argonaute Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D010448:Peptide Initiation Factors; D022661:RNA, Untranslated; D018626:Retroelements