The TRIM-NHL protein NHL-2 is a co-factor in the nuclear and somatic RNAi pathways in C. elegans

The TRIM-NHL protein NHL-2 is a co-factor in the nuclear and somatic RNAi pathways in C. elegans

Blog Article

Proper regulation of germline gene expression is essential for fertility and maintaining species integrity.In the C.elegans germline, a diverse repertoire of regulatory pathways promote the expression of endogenous germline genes and limit the expression of deleterious transcripts to maintain genome homeostasis.Here we show that the conserved TRIM-NHL protein, NHL-2, plays an essential role in the C.elegans germline, modulating LEGO Minecraft germline chromatin and meiotic chromosome organization.

We uncover a role for NHL-2 as a co-factor in both positively (CSR-1) and negatively (HRDE-1) acting germline 22G-small RNA pathways and the somatic nuclear RNAi pathway.Furthermore, we demonstrate that NHL-2 is a bona fide RNA binding protein and, along with RNA-seq data point to a small RNA independent role for NHL-2 in regulating Dishwasher Bracket transcripts at the level of RNA stability.Collectively, our data implicate NHL-2 as an essential hub of gene regulatory activity in both the germline and soma.