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Julius Brennecke
The piRNA Pathway in the Drosophila Germline - an RNA based Genome Immune System
Small RNA pathways – referred to as RNA interference (RNAi) pathways – govern a diverse array of cellular processes. Among those are control of gene expression, suppression of viral replication, formation of heterochromatin and protection of the genome against selfish genetic elements such as transposons.
Our group focuses on the piRNA pathway, an evolutionarily conserved RNAi pathway acting in the animal germline. It is the key genome surveillance system that suppresses the activity of transposons. Recent work has provided a conceptual framework for this pathway: According to this, the genome stores transposon sequences in defined heterochromatic loci called piRNA clusters. These provide the RNA substrates for the biogenesis of piRNAs. An intricate amplification cycle steers piRNA production predominantly to those cluster regions that are complementary to transposons being active at a given time.
Finally, piRNAs guide a protein complex centered on Piwi-proteins to complementary transposon RNAs in the cell, leading to their silencing. We systematically dissect the piRNA pathway regarding its molecular architecture as well as its biological functions in Drosophila. For our studies we combine fly genetics, proteomics and genomics approaches.
Selected Publications
| (2011) |
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Handler, D., Olivieri, D., Novatchkova, M., Gruber, FS., Meixner, K., Mechtler, K., Stark, A., Sachidanandam, R., Brennecke, J. (2011). A systematic analysis of Drosophila TUDOR domain-containing proteins identifies Vreteno and the Tdrd12 family as essential primary piRNA pathway factors.
EMBO J. 30(19):3977-93
(abstract)
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| (2010) |
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Olivieri, D., Sykora, MM., Sachidanandam, R., Mechtler, K., Brennecke, J. (2010). An in vivo RNAi assay identifies major genetic and cellular requirements for primary piRNA biogenesis in Drosophila.
EMBO J. 29(19):3301-17
(abstract)
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| (2009) |
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Malone, CD., Brennecke, J., Dus, M., Stark, A., McCombie, WR., Sachidanandam, R., Hannon, GJ. (2009). Specialized piRNA pathways act in germline and somatic tissues of the Drosophila ovary.
Cell. 137(3):522-35
(abstract)
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| (2008) |
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Brennecke, J., Malone, CD., Aravin, AA., Sachidanandam, R., Stark, A., Hannon, GJ. (2008). An epigenetic role for maternally inherited piRNAs in transposon silencing.
Science. 322(5906):1387-92
(abstract)
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| (2007) |
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Brennecke, J., Aravin, AA., Stark, A., Dus, M., Kellis, M., Sachidanandam, R., Hannon, GJ. (2007). Discrete small RNA-generating loci as master regulators of transposon activity in Drosophila.
Cell. 128(6):1089-103
(abstract)
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