piRNAs are the 24-31 nucleotides small RNAs that are specifically and abundantly expressed in animal germlines to silence transposons and protect genome integrity. Our recent analyses on BmPAPI, a piRNA biogenesis factor modulating piRNA length, revealed the piRNA precursor processing mechanism on mitochondrial outer membrane scaffolds.
Mitochondrial protein BmPAPI modulates the length of mature piRNAs
References
- Honda, S, Kirino, Y, Maragkakis, M, Alexiou, P, Ohtaki, A, Murali, R, Mourelatos, Z, Kirino, Y (2013) Mitochondrial protein BmPAPI modulates the length of mature piRNAs. RNA 19: 1405-18