Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 9, 2026

In Vivo Proximity Biotinylation for Protein Interaction Studies in Paramecium tetraurelia
Published on: September 12, 2025
Multifunctionality of PIWI proteins in control of germline stem cell fate
E Y Yakushev1, O A Sokolova, V A Gvozdev
1Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 123182, Russia.
Abstract:
PIWI proteins interacting with specific type of small RNAs (piRNAs) repress transposable elements in animals. Besides, they have been shown to participate in various cellular processes: in the regulation of heterochromatin formation including telomere structures, in the control of translation and the cell cycle, and in DNA rearrangements. PIWI proteins were first identified by their roles in the self-renewal of germline stem cells. PIWI protein functions are not limited to gonadogenesis, but the role in determining the fate of stem cells is their specific feature conserved throughout the evolution of animals. Molecular mechanisms underlying these processes are far from being understood. This review focuses on the role of PIWI proteins in the control of maintenance and proliferation of germinal stem cells and its relation to the known function of PIWI in transposon repression.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
piRNA - Piwi-interacting RNAs
Maintenance of the ES Cell State
Multipotency and Niche of Bulge Stem Cell
Role Of Notch Signalling In Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal
Direct cell-to-cell contact is needed for the activation of Notch signaling. The signal is initiated when a notch ligand binds to a receptor on an adjacent cell, also...
Somatic to iPS Cell Reprogramming
Pleiotropy

