A balance between silencing foreign DNA and protecting self in Caenorhabditis elegans
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ArticleAuthors
Frøkjær-Jensen, Christian
KAUST Department
Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) DivisionBioscience Program
Date
2018-09-16Online Publication Date
2018-09-16Print Publication Date
2019-02Permanent link to this record
http://hdl.handle.net/10754/628762
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Unrestrained transposon mobilization threatens genome integrity. To survive, organisms have evolved silencing pathways capable of distinguishing self from non-self. This review emphasizes C. elegans genome defense with a particular emphasis on systems-level detection of foreign DNA and the balance between silencing and protective pathways. Abundant small RNAs (piRNAs and siRNAs), aberrant DNA structures (e.g., introns), and heterochromatin domains largely mediate silencing. For example, CRISPR-based manipulation of endogenous piRNAs has elucidated precise targeting rules and a novel, conserved role in tuning endogenous germline gene expression. Protective pathways are only just becoming clear: small RNA pathways (CSR-1), deamination of endogenous dsRNA, and a pervasive, embedded DNA watermark (PATCs) can all counteract silencing to protect endogenous genes.Citation
Frøkjær-Jensen C (2018) A balance between silencing foreign DNA and protecting self in Caenorhabditis elegans. Current Opinion in Systems Biology. Available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.coisb.2018.09.007.Sponsors
I would like to thank Darryl Conte, Carolyn Phillips, and an anonymous reviewer for helpful suggestions on the manuscript. Funding: This work was supported by KAUST's internal research support.Publisher
Elsevier BVAdditional Links
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452310018300854ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1016/j.coisb.2018.09.007