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Comment
. 2008 Apr 15;22(8):970-5.
doi: 10.1101/gad.1669408.

Small RNA guides for de novo DNA methylation in mammalian germ cells

Alexei A Aravin  1 , Déborah Bourc'his
Affiliations
Comment

Small RNA guides for de novo DNA methylation in mammalian germ cells

Alexei A Aravin et al. Genes Dev. .

Abstract

Germline genomic methylation is essential for gamete identity and integrity in mammals. The study by Kuramochi-Miyagawa and colleagues (908-917) in the previous issue of Genes & Development links the process of DNA methylation-dependent repression of retrotranspons with the presence of piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) in fetal male germ cells undergoing de novo methylation.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Proposed mechanism for piRNA-induced DNA methylation in male germ cells. Primary piRNAs produced from TE-rich piRNA clusters join Piwi (Mili and/or Miwi2) proteins. Sense (blue) and antisense (red) piRNAs are amplified in the ping-pong cycle. Piwi–piRNAs complexes recognize nascent TE transcripts in the nucleus and recruit chromatin modifiers to TE genomic loci. Subsequent changes in histone marks (H3K4 methylation loss, H3K9 methylation gain, green diamonds) induce the de novo activity of the Dnmt3A–Dnmt3L tetrameric complex to establish methylation patterns.
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References

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