MicroRNA-dependent transposable element transcriptional silencing in Drosophila somatic ovarian cells [RNA-Seq]

RNAi-related silencing mechanisms concern as diverse biological processes as gene regulation, mostly via the miRNA pathway, and defense against molecular parasites, mainly controlled by the siRNA and the piRNA pathways. In Drosophila somatic ovarian cells, transposable elements (TEs) are repressed by chromatin changes induced by Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs). We show here that a functional miRNA pathway is required for this piRNA-mediated TE transcriptional silencing to operate in this tissue. A general miRNA depletion, caused by tissue- and stage-specific knock-down of either drosha (involved in miRNA biogenesis) or AG01 and gawky (both responsible for miRNA activity) resulted in chromatin-mediated TE transcriptional desilencing and piRNA loss. For unknown reasons, the amount of piRNA produced by the traffic jam 3'' UTR was apparently unaffected in miRNA-defective somatic ovarian cells. Although weaker, similar phenotypes could also be observed upon individual titration (by expression of the complementary miR-sponge) of at least three miRNAs, miR-14, miR-34 and miR-989. This work adds the maintenance of genome stability, via the piRNA-mediated TE repression, to the list of the already reported miRNA-controlled biological functions. Overall design: Study of small regulatory RNA populations present in ovaries expressing either wild-type Drosha protein or the trans-dominant negative Drosha protein coupled or not with the Tub-GAL80[ts]GAL4 inhibitor.