Oral Presentation 40th Annual Lorne Genome Conference 2019

Requirements for multivalent Yb body assembly in piRNA-mediated transposon silencing in Drosophila  (#27)

Mikiko Siomi 1
  1. Graduate School of Science , University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

In Drosophila ovarian somatic cells (OSCs), Piwi forms piRISCs with piRNAs and transcriptionally represses transposons to maintain the genome integrity. Female sterile (1) Yb (Yb) is a primary component of Yb bodies, perinuclear foci considered to be the site of piRNA biogenesis in OSCs. Yb consists of three domains; Helicase C-terminal (Hel-C), RNA helicase and extended Tudor (eTud) domains. We previously showed that the RNA helicase domain is necessary for Yb-RNA interaction, Yb body formation and piRNA biogenesis. Here, we investigated the functions of Hel-C and eTud and revealed that Hel-C is dedicated for Yb-Yb homotypic interaction while eTud is necessary for Yb-RNA association as was the RNA helicase domain. All these domains were indispensable for Yb body formation and production of transposon-repressible piRNAs. Strikingly, however, genic piRNAs unrelated to transposon silencing were produced in OSCs where Yb bodies were disassembled. We also revealed that Yb bodies are liquid-like multivalent condensates whose assembly depends on Yb-Yb homotypic interaction and Yb binding particularly with flamenco RNA transcripts, the source of transposon-targeting piRNAs. New insights into Yb body assembly and biological relevance of Yb bodies in transposon silencing have emerged.