Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 26, 2026

Demonstration of the Sequence Alignment to Predict Across Species Susceptibility Tool for Rapid Assessment of Protein Conservation
Published on: February 10, 2023
Rapid evolution and conserved function of the piRNA pathway
Swapnil S Parhad1, William E Theurkauf1
1Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School , 373 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605 , USA.
Abstract:
Transposons are major genome constituents that can mobilize and trigger mutations, DNA breaks and chromosome rearrangements. Transposon silencing is particularly important in the germline, which is dedicated to transmission of the inherited genome. Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) guide a host defence system that transcriptionally and post-transcriptionally silences transposons during germline development. While germline control of transposons by the piRNA pathway is conserved, many piRNA pathway genes are evolving rapidly under positive selection, and the piRNA biogenesis machinery shows remarkable phylogenetic diversity. Conservation of core function combined with rapid gene evolution is characteristic of a host-pathogen arms race, suggesting that transposons and the piRNA pathway are engaged in an evolutionary tug of war that is driving divergence of the biogenesis machinery. Recent studies suggest that this process may produce biochemical incompatibilities that contribute to reproductive isolation and species divergence.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
piRNA - Piwi-interacting RNAs
Conserved Binding Sites
Binding sites are often located in large pockets, and if their location on a protein’s surface is unknown, it can be predicted using various approaches. The energetic method computationally...
The Evidence for Evolution
What is Conservation Biology?
Convergent Evolution
Conservation of Small Populations

