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- Title
Pseudogene-derived small interfering RNAs regulate gene expression in mouse oocytes.
- Authors
Tam, Oliver H.; Aravin, Alexei A.; Stein, Paula; Girard, Angelique; Murchison, Elizabeth P.; Cheloufi, Sihem; Hodges, Emily; Anger, Martin; Sachidanandam, Ravi; Schultz, Richard M.; Hannon, Gregory J.
- Abstract
Pseudogenes populate the mammalian genome as remnants of artefactual incorporation of coding messenger RNAs into transposon pathways. Here we show that a subset of pseudogenes generates endogenous small interfering RNAs (endo-siRNAs) in mouse oocytes. These endo-siRNAs are often processed from double-stranded RNAs formed by hybridization of spliced transcripts from protein-coding genes to antisense transcripts from homologous pseudogenes. An inverted repeat pseudogene can also generate abundant small RNAs directly. A second class of endo-siRNAs may enforce repression of mobile genetic elements, acting together with Piwi-interacting RNAs. Loss of Dicer, a protein integral to small RNA production, increases expression of endo-siRNA targets, demonstrating their regulatory activity. Our findings indicate a function for pseudogenes in regulating gene expression by means of the RNA interference pathway and may, in part, explain the evolutionary pressure to conserve argonaute-mediated catalysis in mammals.
- Subjects
GENE expression; GENETIC regulation; ADENOSINE triphosphatase gene expression; MOLECULAR genetics; MOBILE genetic elements; SURFACE chemistry; ANIMAL genome mapping; CELL fusion
- Publication
Nature, 2008, Vol 453, Issue 7194, p534
- ISSN
0028-0836
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1038/nature06904