title: PIWI goes solo in the soma.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
authors.forename: Steven H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: Hannele
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ruohola-Baker
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: C518392:AGO3 protein, Drosophila; D060565:Argonaute Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D010448:Peptide Initiation Factors; D022661:RNA, Untranslated; D018626:Retroelements