Dernière mise à jour : 18 janv. 2021
And we got accepted! Let's move into more TE biology: how are TEs regulated in a grain feeder coleoptera? Some interesting somatic piRNAs on the way. This is a collaboration with Christine Gaspin and we are hoping to get some exciting results. Thanks INRAE for trusting in us!
We'll start our first RNA MINION adventure in collaboration with Cristina Vieira and Annabelle Haudry at LBBE. The idea is to sequence full lenght transposable element transcripts in Drosophila. This would allow us to estimate the number of FL copies compared to internally deleted ones, but also to pinpoint potentially chimeric transcripts. Wish us luck.
Rita
New paper is out from Marie Fablet in Cristina Vieira's lab.
All genomes contain repeated sequences that are known as transposable elements (TEs). Among these are endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), which are sequences similar to retroviruses and are transmitted across generations from parent to progeny. These sequences are controlled in genomes through epigenetic mechanisms. At the center of the epigenetic control of TEs are small interfering RNAs of the piRNA class, which trigger heterochromatinization of TE sequences. The tirant ERV of Drosophila simulans displays intra-specific variability in copy numbers, insertion sites, and transcription levels, providing us with a well-suited model to study the dynamic relationship between a TE family and the host genome through epigenetic mechanisms. We show that tiranttranscript amounts and piRNA amounts are positively correlated in ovaries in normal conditions, unlike what was previously described following divergent crosses. In addition, we describe tirant insertion polymorphism in the genomes of three D. simulanswild-type strains, which reveals a limited number of insertions that may be associated with gene transcript level changes through heterochromatin spreading and have phenotypic impacts. Taken together, our results participate in the understanding of the equilibrium between the host genome and its TEs.