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

7.0K
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...
7.0K
RNA Interference01:23

RNA Interference

26.4K
RNA interference (RNAi) is a process in which a small non-coding RNA molecule blocks the post-transcriptional expression of a gene by binding to its messenger RNA (mRNA) and preventing the protein from being translated.
This process occurs naturally in cells, often through the activity of genomically-encoded microRNAs. Researchers can take advantage of this mechanism by introducing synthetic RNAs to deactivate specific genes for research or therapeutic purposes. For example, RNAi could be used...
26.4K
siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs02:30

siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs

17.0K
Small interfering RNAs, or siRNAs, are short regulatory RNA molecules that can silence genes post-transcriptionally, as well as the transcriptional level in some cases. siRNAs are important for protecting cells against viral infections and silencing transposable genetic elements.
In the cytoplasm, siRNA is processed from a double-stranded RNA, which comes from either endogenous DNA transcription or exogenous sources like a virus. This double-stranded RNA is then cleaved by the...
17.0K
Experimental RNAi02:15

Experimental RNAi

6.2K
RNA interference (RNAi) is a cellular mechanism that inhibits gene expression by suppressing its transcription or activating the RNA degradation process. The mechanism was discovered by Andrew Fire and Craig Mello in 1998 in plants. Today, it is observed in almost all eukaryotes, including protozoa, flies, nematodes, insects, parasites, and mammals. This precise cellular mechanism of gene silencing has been developed into a technique that provides an efficient way to identify and determine the...
6.2K
Bacterial Transcription01:53

Bacterial Transcription

29.3K
RNA polymerase (RNAP) carries out DNA-dependent RNA synthesis in both bacteria and eukaryotes. Bacteria do not have a membrane-bound nucleus. So, transcription and translation occur simultaneously, on the same DNA template.
Transcription can be divided into three main stages, each involving distinct DNA sequences to guide the polymerase. These are:
29.3K
Riboswitches01:56

Riboswitches

8.5K
Riboswitches are non-coding mRNA domains that regulate the transcription and translation of downstream genes without the help of proteins. Riboswitches bind directly to a metabolite and can form unique stem-loop or hairpin structures in response to the amount of the metabolite present. They have two distinct regions – a metabolite-binding aptamer and an expression platform.
The aptamer has high specificity for a particular metabolite which allows riboswitches to specifically regulate...
8.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Cellular assembly and functional resilience of the mammalian RNA exosome.

The EMBO journal·2026
Same author

Molecular basis of polyadenylated RNA fate determination in the nucleus.

Nature·2026
Same author

Structure of the Arabidopsis receptor kinase SRF6 ectodomain determined from crystals obtained using the LRR crystallization screen.

Acta crystallographica. Section D, Structural biology·2026
Same author

Gregory J. Hannon (1964-2026).

Cell·2026
Same author

Evolution of an Aurora Kinase A Inhibitor from an Essential tRNA Synthetase.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

A reference genome for cultured Drosophila ovarian somatic cells enables studies of transposon and piRNA biology.

Genome biology·2026
Same journal

Thyroid cancer-associated EZH1 Q571R mutation drives chromatin compaction and H3K27me3 invasion into active chromatin.

Molecular cell·2026
Same journal

Genome-wide rotational and translational phasing of nucleosomes with human transcription factors.

Molecular cell·2026
Same journal

Spliceosomal proofreading factors safeguard 3' splice-site fidelity and prevent proteotoxicity and inflammation.

Molecular cell·2026
Same journal

Cytosolic EZH2-IMPDH2 complexes regulate melanoma progression and metastasis via GTP.

Molecular cell·2026
Same journal

A bacterial reverse transcriptase: Protein-templated DNA synthesis fuels antiviral immunity.

Molecular cell·2026
Same journal

Tweezing apart ribosome heterogeneity.

Molecular cell·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 8, 2025

Enhanced Crosslinking Immunoprecipitation eCLIP Method for Efficient Identification of Protein-bound RNA in Mouse Testis
10:31

Enhanced Crosslinking Immunoprecipitation eCLIP Method for Efficient Identification of Protein-bound RNA in Mouse Testis

Published on: May 10, 2019

20.1K

Target RNA recognition drives PIWI∗ complex assembly for transposon silencing.

Júlia Portell-Montserrat1, Laszlo Tirian2, Changwei Yu2

  • 1Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria; Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Campus Vienna BioCenter, 1030 Vienna, Austria; Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.

Molecular Cell
|September 5, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) and PIWI proteins silence transposons by forming PIWI* complexes. These complexes act as platforms to recruit downstream effectors, ensuring genome integrity.

Keywords:
Argonaute proteinsDrosophilaPIWI-piRNA pathwaygerm line biologyheterochromatin biologypiRNA biogenesisprotein structure predictionsmall RNA pathwaystransposon silencing

More Related Videos

PAR-CliP - A Method to Identify Transcriptome-wide the Binding Sites of RNA Binding Proteins
12:24

PAR-CliP - A Method to Identify Transcriptome-wide the Binding Sites of RNA Binding Proteins

Published on: July 2, 2010

53.6K
Identification of Footprints of RNA:Protein Complexes via RNA Immunoprecipitation in Tandem Followed by Sequencing RIPiT-Seq
09:26

Identification of Footprints of RNA:Protein Complexes via RNA Immunoprecipitation in Tandem Followed by Sequencing RIPiT-Seq

Published on: July 10, 2019

10.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 8, 2025

Enhanced Crosslinking Immunoprecipitation eCLIP Method for Efficient Identification of Protein-bound RNA in Mouse Testis
10:31

Enhanced Crosslinking Immunoprecipitation eCLIP Method for Efficient Identification of Protein-bound RNA in Mouse Testis

Published on: May 10, 2019

20.1K
PAR-CliP - A Method to Identify Transcriptome-wide the Binding Sites of RNA Binding Proteins
12:24

PAR-CliP - A Method to Identify Transcriptome-wide the Binding Sites of RNA Binding Proteins

Published on: July 2, 2010

53.6K
Identification of Footprints of RNA:Protein Complexes via RNA Immunoprecipitation in Tandem Followed by Sequencing RIPiT-Seq
09:26

Identification of Footprints of RNA:Protein Complexes via RNA Immunoprecipitation in Tandem Followed by Sequencing RIPiT-Seq

Published on: July 10, 2019

10.7K

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Epigenetics

Background:

  • PIWI proteins and piRNAs are crucial for genome stability by silencing transposable elements.
  • Silencing occurs via distinct nuclear and cytoplasmic pathways involving heterochromatin formation and RNA cleavage.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the mechanism of effector recruitment in PIWI-mediated silencing.
  • To identify the molecular complexes involved in PIWI-piRNA guided target recognition.

Main Methods:

  • Biochemical analysis of protein-RNA interactions.
  • In vivo studies in Drosophila melanogaster.
  • Evolutionary comparative analysis.

Main Results:

  • Target engagement by PIWI-piRNA complexes forms PIWI* complexes, including GTSF proteins and Maelstrom.
  • Nuclear PIWI* complexes recruit SFiNX for heterochromatin formation.
  • Cytoplasmic Aubergine* complexes recruit Spindle-E for piRNA amplification.

Conclusions:

  • PIWI* complexes serve as conserved molecular platforms coupling target recognition to effector recruitment.
  • This mechanism provides a unifying principle for PIWI-mediated silencing across cellular compartments.
  • Identifies a conserved ancient mechanism for genome defense.