The co-evolution of endogenous retroviruses with the animal germline

Datum

21.03.2024

Zeit

11:00 - 12:00

Sprecher

Julius Brennecke

Zugehörigkeit

IMBA Vienna

Serie

MPI-CBG Thursday Seminar

Sprache

en

Hauptthema

Biologie

Host

Anthony Hyman

Beschreibung

Small RNA-mediated silencing pathways are essential players in the relentless genetic conflict between transposable elements and host genomes. In animal gonads, the PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway enforces effective transposon silencing in the cytoplasm and nucleus. Conceptually similar to prokaryotic CRISPR/Cas systems, the piRNA pathway uses effector proteins complexed with single-stranded guide RNAs (22-32nt piRNAs) derived from genomic loci, which act as adaptive and heritable sequence repositories. In my seminar, I will focus on the adult ovary ‘ecosystem’ in Drosophila melanogaster and provide an overview of our current understanding of the piRNA pathway. I will discuss how the rare event of an LTR element gaining infectivity allowed a genuine endogenous retrovirus to temporarily escape piRNA-mediated silencing, resulting in a profound example of retroviral diversification, and how the host responded.

Letztmalig verändert: 22.03.2024, 07:36:34