Incorporation of transposable element small RNAs into the Arabidopsis AGO1 protein
Background: Transposable element 24 nucleotide small RNAs are not efficiently incorporated into the AGO1 protein, which is involved in endogenous RNAi and gene regulation through the microRNA and tasiRNA pathways. Results: The AGO1 protein incorporates large quantities of transposable element siRNAs when transposable elements are epigenetically activated and transcribed. The incorporation of transposable element siRNAs is at the expense of the most abundant microRNAs. These transposable element siRNAs can act as tasiRNAs, regulating genes that they have partial complementarity to. Conclusion: Transposable element small RNAs are more dynamic than previously thought. They can be incorporated into AGO1 and regulate genes. Overall design: Three biological replicates of small RNA sequencing from two genotypes