title: A systematic analysis of Drosophila TUDOR domain-containing proteins identifies Vreteno and the Tdrd12 family as essential primary piRNA pathway factors.
abstract: PIWI proteins and their bound PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) form the core of a gonad-specific small RNA silencing pathway that protects the animal genome against the deleterious activity of transposable elements. Recent studies linked the piRNA pathway to TUDOR biology as TUDOR domains of various proteins bind symmetrically methylated Arginine residues in PIWI proteins. We systematically analysed the Drosophila TUDOR protein family and identified four previously not characterized TUDOR domain-containing proteins (CG4771, CG14303, CG11133 and CG31755) as essential piRNA pathway factors. We characterized CG4771 (Vreteno) in detail and demonstrate a critical role for this protein in primary piRNA biogenesis. Vreteno physically and/or genetically interacts with the primary pathway components Piwi, Armitage, Yb and Zucchini. Vreteno also interacts with the Tdrd12 orthologues CG11133 (Brother of Yb) and CG31755 (Sister of Yb), which are essential for the primary piRNA pathway in the germline and probably replace the function of the related but soma-specific factor Yb.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Dominik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Handler
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Olivieri
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Novatchkova
authors.forename: Franz Sebastian
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Gruber
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Meixner
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mechtler
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stark
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sachidanandam
authors.forename: Julius
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brennecke
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D005260:Female; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C568700:BoYb protein, Drosophila; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; C568701:SoYb protein, Drosophila; C562076:Vret protein, Drosophila; C119416:fs(1)Yb protein, Drosophila; C071597:tud protein, Drosophila; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D012313:RNA