The Caenorhabditis elegans TDRD5/7-like protein, LOTR-1, interacts with the helicase ZNFX-1 to balance epigenetic signals in the germline

Elisabeth A. Marnik, Miguel V. Almeida, P. Giselle Cipriani, George Chung, Edoardo Caspani, Emil Karaulanov, Hin Hark Gan, John Zinno, Ida J. Isolehto, Fridolin Kielisch, Falk Butter, Catherine S. Sharp, Roisin M. Flanagan, Frederic X. Bonnet, Fabio Piano, René F. Ketting, Kristin C. Gunsalus, Dustin L. Updike

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

LOTUS and Tudor domain containing proteins have critical roles in the germline. Proteins that contain these domains, such as Tejas/Tapas in Drosophila, help localize the Vasa helicase to the germ granules and facilitate piRNA-mediated transposon silencing. The homologous proteins in mammals, TDRD5 and TDRD7, are required during spermiogenesis. Until now, proteins containing both LOTUS and Tudor domains in Caenorhabditis elegans have remained elusive. Here we describe LOTR-1 (D1081.7), which derives its name from its LOTUS and Tudor domains. Interestingly, LOTR-1 docks next to P granules to colocalize with the broadly conserved Z-granule helicase, ZNFX-1. The Tudor domain of LOTR-1 is required for its Z-granule retention. Like znfx-1 mutants, lotr-1 mutants lose small RNAs from the 3’ ends of WAGO and mutator targets, reminiscent of the loss of piRNAs from the 3’ ends of piRNA precursor transcripts in mouse Tdrd5 mutants. Our work shows that LOTR-1 acts with ZNFX-1 to bring small RNA amplifying mechanisms towards the 3’ ends of its RNA templates.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numbere1010245
JournalPLoS genetics
Volume18
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 3 2022

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Genetics(clinical)
  • Cancer Research

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