title: Cloning of the quail PIWI gene and characterization of PIWI binding to small RNAs.
abstract: The PIWI protein regulates gene expression at the epigenetic and post-transcriptional level with a variety of endogenous small non-coding RNAs. In poultry, the biological function of the PIWI protein and PIWI binding to small RNAs had not been determined. The present study cloned and analyzed the sequences of the PIWIL1 protein. We also characterized PIWIL1 binding to small RNAs from adult quail testis, where the PIWIL1 protein is specifically expressed. Small RNAs showed a strong peak at 24-27 nt in the testicular RNA library, mapped primarily to repeat sequences and were similar to rasiRNAs. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) were abundant in the ovarian RNA library at a peak of 22 nt.
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Guobin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Aiqin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Teng
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Jianchao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.forename: Dengke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.forename: Mingxiu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Guohong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D060565:Argonaute Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D047468:Immunoprecipitation; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011784:Quail; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D060565:Argonaute Proteins; D035683:MicroRNAs; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering