Premium
Transcriptional properties and splicing of the flamenco pi RNA cluster
Author(s) -
Goriaux Coline,
Desset Sophie,
Renaud Yoan,
Vaury Chantal,
Brasset Emilie
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
embo reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.584
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1469-3178
pISSN - 1469-221X
DOI - 10.1002/embr.201337898
Subject(s) - rna splicing , rna , trans splicing , pi , cluster (spacecraft) , rna processing , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , gene , computer science , biochemistry , computer network
In Drosophila , the pi RNA cluster, flamenco , produces most of the pi RNA s (PIWI‐interacting RNA s) that silence transposable elements in the somatic follicle cells during oogenesis. These pi RNA s are thought to be processed from a long single‐stranded precursor transcript. Here, we demonstrate that flamenco transcription is initiated from an RNA polymerase II promoter containing an initiator motif (Inr) and downstream promoter element ( DPE ) and requires the transcription factor, Cubitus interruptus. We show that the flamenco precursor transcript undergoes differential alternative splicing to generate diverse RNA precursors that are processed to pi RNA s. Our data reveal dynamic processing steps giving rise to pi RNA cluster precursors.