The protozoan Tetrahymena eliminates useless DNA from its chromosomes during sexual reproduction. It uses small RNAs to distinguish "useless" DNA from "useful" one. The team studies the molecular mechanisms linking RNAi, heterochromatin and DNA elimination. The RNAi-related mechanism is involved in the heterochromatin formation in many eukaryotes, including humans. Important insights will be gained into how the chromatin level silencing is epigenetically directed by the RNAi-related mechanism in higher organisms.
Selected Publications
Kurth, HM., Mochizuki, K. (2009). 2\'-O-methylation stabilizes Piwi-associated small RNAs and ensures DNA elimination in Tetrahymena.
RNA. 15(4):675-85
(abstract)
Aronica, L., Bednenko, J., Noto, T., DeSouza, LV., Siu, KW., Loidl, J., Pearlman, RE., Gorovsky, MA., Mochizuki, K. (2008). Study of an RNA helicase implicates small RNA-noncoding RNA interactions in programmed DNA elimination in Tetrahymena.
Genes Dev. 22(16):2228-41
(abstract)
Mochizuki, K., Gorovsky, MA. (2005). A Dicer-like protein in Tetrahymena has distinct functions in genome rearrangement, chromosome segregation, and meiotic prophase.
Genes Dev. 19(1):77-89
(abstract)
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