Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

piRNA - Piwi-interacting RNAs02:57

piRNA - Piwi-interacting RNAs

7.9K
PIWI-interacting RNAs, or piRNAs, are the most abundant short non-coding RNAs. More than 20,000 genes have been found in humans that code for piRNAs while only 2000 genes have been found for miRNAs. piRNAs can act at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels and have a vital role in silencing transposable elements present in germ cells. They are also involved in epigenetic silencing and activation. Previously, they were thought to function only in germ cells but new evidence suggests...
7.9K
Translational Regulation01:29

Translational Regulation

875
Translational regulation in prokaryotes ensures efficient protein synthesis by controlling ribosome access to mRNA. This regulation is mediated by secondary RNA structures, including translational riboswitches, RNA thermometers, and small RNAs (sRNAs), which respond to intracellular and environmental signals to modulate gene expression.Translational RiboswitchesRiboswitches in the leader region of mRNAs can regulate translation by altering the accessibility of the Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence,...
875
Cis-regulatory Sequences02:02

Cis-regulatory Sequences

12.3K
Cis-regulatory sequences are short fragments of non-coding DNA that are present on the same chromosomes as the genes that they regulate. These fragments serve as binding sites for transcriptional regulators, proteins that are responsible for controlling gene transcription and differential gene expression across cell types in eukaryotes. Cis-regulatory sequences can be close to the gene of interest or thousands of bases away in the DNA sequence; however, those sequences that are further away are...
12.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Remote homology and functional genetics unmask deeply preserved Scm3/HJURP orthologs in metazoans.

Science advances·2026
Same author

AMPK tunes reproductive gene expression and small RNA homeostasis to mediate timely germ cell development.

Nucleic acids research·2026
Same author

A titin truncating variant linked to atrial fibrillation increases atrial profibrotic signalling and cholinergic sensitivity.

Cardiovascular research·2026
Same author

Adulthood depletion of Integrator extends lifespan and healthspan via defective pre-mRNA processing.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Centromeres are hotspots of cytosine methylation epimutations in a filamentous fungus.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Remote homology and functional genetics unmask deeply preserved Scm3/HJURP orthologs in metazoans.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same journal

Genetic survey of biomarkers at early and mid-pregnancy identifies pregnancy-specialized immune regulation.

PLoS genetics·2026
Same journal

Argonaute proteins orchestrate Meiotic Sex Chromosome Inactivation and timing of the spermatogenic transcriptional program.

PLoS genetics·2026
Same journal

Genome wide association study meta-analysis of neuropathologic lesions of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias in a multi-site autopsy cohort.

PLoS genetics·2026
Same journal

Microtubule stiffening by the doublecortin-domain protein ZYG-8 contributes to mitotic spindle orientation during zygote division in Caenorhabditis elegans.

PLoS genetics·2026
Same journal

Multiple instance fine-mapping: Predicting causal regulatory variants with a deep sequence model.

PLoS genetics·2026
Same journal

Nuclear ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme TrUbc4 and F-box protein TrFwd1-mediated modification of Cre1 in Trichoderma reesei establishes a regulatory mechanism for carbon catabolite repression.

PLoS genetics·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 15, 2026

Large-scale Gene Knockdown in C. elegans Using dsRNA Feeding Libraries to Generate Robust Loss-of-function Phenotypes
18:38

Large-scale Gene Knockdown in C. elegans Using dsRNA Feeding Libraries to Generate Robust Loss-of-function Phenotypes

Published on: September 25, 2013

12.5K

Tertiary siRNAs mediate paramutation in C. elegans.

Alexandra Sapetschnig1, Peter Sarkies1, Nicolas J Lehrbach1

  • 1Wellcome Trust Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Department of Biochemistry and Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Plos Genetics
|March 27, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Small RNAs in C. elegans initiate transgenerational gene silencing through a multi-step amplification pathway. This process, involving secondary and tertiary siRNAs, maintains germline integrity and can promote inheritance of acquired traits.

More Related Videos

Vampiric Isolation of Extracellular Fluid from Caenorhabditis elegans
08:33

Vampiric Isolation of Extracellular Fluid from Caenorhabditis elegans

Published on: March 19, 2012

10.6K
Hand Dissection of Caenorhabditis elegans Intestines
05:41

Hand Dissection of Caenorhabditis elegans Intestines

Published on: September 13, 2022

4.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 15, 2026

Large-scale Gene Knockdown in C. elegans Using dsRNA Feeding Libraries to Generate Robust Loss-of-function Phenotypes
18:38

Large-scale Gene Knockdown in C. elegans Using dsRNA Feeding Libraries to Generate Robust Loss-of-function Phenotypes

Published on: September 25, 2013

12.5K
Vampiric Isolation of Extracellular Fluid from Caenorhabditis elegans
08:33

Vampiric Isolation of Extracellular Fluid from Caenorhabditis elegans

Published on: March 19, 2012

10.6K
Hand Dissection of Caenorhabditis elegans Intestines
05:41

Hand Dissection of Caenorhabditis elegans Intestines

Published on: September 13, 2022

4.3K

Area of Science:

  • * Molecular Biology
  • * Genetics
  • * Epigenetics

Background:

  • * Small RNA pathways, including piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) and short interfering RNAs (siRNAs), mediate gene silencing in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.
  • * Transgenerational gene silencing, also known as RNA-directed epigenetic inheritance (RNAe) or paramutation, can be initiated by piRNAs and maintained via a nuclear RNA interference (RNAi) pathway.
  • * The precise mechanisms sustaining this heritable silencing across generations remain largely unelucidated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the transgenerational maintenance of gene silencing initiated by piRNAs.
  • * To identify and characterize the small RNA species involved in sustaining gene silencing across multiple generations.
  • * To explore the role of these small RNAs in epigenetic inheritance and the potential for inheritance of acquired traits.

Main Methods:

  • * Analysis of small RNA populations in Caenorhabditis elegans germline.
  • * Genetic screens to identify factors required for transgenerational silencing.
  • * Characterization of small RNA localization and function in relation to piRNA targets.
  • * Investigation of Argonaute protein HRDE-1's role in small RNA transport and function.

Main Results:

  • * Silencing of piRNA targets involves two distinct classes of small RNAs: secondary siRNAs and tertiary siRNAs.
  • * Secondary siRNAs are produced near piRNA target sites, and their nuclear import by HRDE-1 generates tertiary siRNAs mapping across the transcript.
  • * Both secondary and tertiary siRNAs are essential for complete target gene repression and can be maintained independently of the initial piRNA trigger.
  • * Tertiary siRNAs are associated with paramutation, where a tertiary siRNA-generating allele confers dominant, heritable silencing.
  • * Germline-transmitted siRNAs are sufficient for multigenerational silencing, suggesting a robust amplification pathway.

Conclusions:

  • * A multi-step siRNA amplification pathway involving secondary and tertiary siRNAs is crucial for maintaining germline integrity through epigenetic silencing.
  • * This pathway effectively silences endogenous and invading genetic elements, safeguarding the genome across generations.
  • * The identified mechanism can be engaged by environmentally induced heritable gene silencing, potentially facilitating the inheritance of acquired traits.