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Comment
. 2023 Jun 7;21(6):e3002152.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002152. eCollection 2023 Jun.

Some flies do not play ping-pong

Arie Fridrich  1 , Yehu Moran  2
Affiliations
Comment

Some flies do not play ping-pong

Arie Fridrich et al. PLoS Biol. .

Abstract

Genome integrity in animals depends on silencing of mobile elements by Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs). A new study in this issue of PLOS Biology reveals recent evolutionary losses of key piRNA biogenesis factors in flies, highlighting adaptability by rapid shift to alternative piRNA biogenesis strategies.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Conserved regulators of piRNA biogenesis are recurrently lost over short evolutionary timescales in close relatives of D. melanogaster.
Germline ping-pong-mediated piRNA biogenesis and Yb-dependent somatic piRNA biogenesis are conserved among Drosophila species. Two independent losses of Yb occurred in D. eugracilis (which separated from D. melanogaster less than 10 million years ago) and in the obscura group (which separated from D. melanogaster approximately 20 million years ago). These losses were followed by adaptations to produce abundant somatic piRNAs in a Yb-independent manner. Additionally, in D. eugracilis, AGO3 was lost and the ping-pong piRNA biogenesis is absent from the germline. Germline piRNAs production in D. eugracilis shifted towards a ping-pong-independent mechanism.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment on

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