Abstract
Eukaryotic cells regulate 5′-triphosphorylated RNAs (ppp-RNAs) to promote cellular functions and prevent recognition by antiviral RNA sensors. For example, RNA capping enzymes possess triphosphatase domains that remove the γ phosphates of ppp-RNAs during RNA capping. Members of the closely related PIR-1 (phosphatase that interacts with RNA and ribonucleoprotein particle 1) family of RNA polyphosphatases remove both the β and γ phosphates from ppp-RNAs. Here, we show that C. elegans PIR-1 dephosphorylates ppp-RNAs made by cellular RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRPs) and is required for the maturation of 26G-RNAs, Dicer-dependent small RNAs that regulate thousands of genes during spermatogenesis and embryogenesis. PIR-1 also regulates the CSR-1 22G-RNA pathway and has critical functions in both somatic and germline development. Our findings suggest that PIR-1 modulates both Dicer-dependent and Dicer-independent Argonaute pathways and provide insight into how cells and viruses use a conserved RNA phosphatase to regulate and respond to ppp-RNA species.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 546-557.e5 |
Journal | Molecular cell |
Volume | 81 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 4 2021 |
Keywords
- RNA binding proteins
- RNA phosphatase
- RNAi
- double-stranded RNAs
- embryogenesis
- germline gene regulation
- germline small RNAs
- mRNA regulation
- regulation of triphosphorylated RNA
- spermatogenesis
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology