title: Primary piRNA biogenesis: caught up in a Maelstrom.
abstract: Precursors for most Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are indistinguishable from other RNA polymerase II-transcribed long noncoding RNAs. So, it is currently unclear how they are recognized as substrates by the piRNA processing machinery that resides in cytoplasmic granules called nuage. In this issue, Castaneda et al (2014) reveal a role for the nuage component and nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling protein Maelstrom in mouse piRNA biogenesis.
authors.affiliation: European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Grenoble Outstation, Grenoble, France Unit for Virus Host Cell Interactions, University Grenoble Alpes-EMBL-CNRS, Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Radha Raman
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Pandey
authors.affiliation: European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Grenoble Outstation, Grenoble, France Unit for Virus Host Cell Interactions, University Grenoble Alpes-EMBL-CNRS, Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Ramesh S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Pillai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000172:deficiency*; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D049471:Pachytene Stage; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism*; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D013737:Testis / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000172:deficiency*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D014157:Transcription Factors; C531147:maelstrom protein, mouse