Collaborative Research: SG: piRNA Dynamics in the Absence of Active Transposable Elements

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Transposable elements (TEs) are DNA sequences with the ability to move and make copies in a genome through -cut and paste- or -copy and paste- mechanisms. TEs are major components of vertebrate genomes, and account for at least 45% of the human genome. Because the unrestricted proliferation of TEs can have profound, and mostly deleterious, biological effects, the question of how organisms control TE mobilization has attracted high interest. Experimental data suggest that TEs and a recently discovered class of small non-coding RNAs called piRNAs, are involved in an evolutionary arms race, similar to that of pathogens and the immune system. Briefly, piRNAs direct proteins against TE derived messenger RNAs. However, the details of the interplay between piRNAs and TEs are far from clear. The research objective of this project is to characterize piRNA repertoires in the ground squirrel, which lacks ongoing TE activity, by contrasting them with mouse which have ongoing TE activity.Understanding how genomes protect themselves from the challenges presented by TE invasion is a fundamental question in evolutionary genomics. This project represents a step in that direction. TEs have the ability to change genes and their expression, and as such they can have profound biological effects. In addition, the piRNA pathway has enormous potential for applications in biotechology and medicine. If the investigators are able to direct this pathway, they should be able to target deleterious gene variants, such as those involved in cancer, and this project will contribute towards this long term objective. In addition, this project will permit the training of young researchers in bioinformatics.