Maternally Inherited Stable Intronic Sequence RNA Triggers a Self-Reinforcing Feedback Loop during Development.
Maternally inherited noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) can regulate zygotic gene expression across generations [1-4]. Recently, many stable intronic sequence RNAs (sisRNAs), which are byproducts of pre-mRNA splicing, were found to be maternally deposited and persist till zygotic transcription in Xenopus and Drosophila [5-7]. In various organisms, sisRNAs can be in linear or circular conformations, and they have been suggested to regulate host gene expression [5-10]. It is unknown whether maternally deposited sisRNAs can regulate zygotic gene expression in the embryos. Here, we show that a maternally inherited sisRNA (sisR-4) from the deadpan locus is important for embryonic development in Drosophila. Mothers, but not fathers, mutant for sisR-4 produce embryos that fail to hatch. During embryogenesis, sisR-4 promotes transcription of its host gene (deadpan), which is essential for development. Interestingly, sisR-4 functions by activating an enhancer present in the intron where sisR-4 is encoded. We propose that a maternal sisRNA triggers expression of its host gene via a positive feedback loop during embryogenesis.
Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore.
Mandy Li-Ian
ML
Tay
Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore. Electronic address: junwei@tll.org.sg.
Jun Wei
JW
Pek
D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics*; D000072741:Maternal Inheritance; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics*
D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D012313:RNA; C078020:Dpn protein, Drosophila
Drosophila; development; maternal; sisRNA