Nuclear RNA export factor variant initiates piRNA-guided co-transcriptional silencing

PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are germline-specific small RNAs that form effector complexes with PIWI proteins (Piwi–piRISC complexes) to preserve genomic integrity by repressing transposable elements (TEs). Among PIWI-clade proteins in Drosophila, Piwi transcriptionally silences its targets via heterochromatin formation characterised by H3K9me3 marks and the linker histone H1. Recent studies have shown that Panoramix (Panx) interacts with Piwi–piRISC complexes to induce transcriptional repression of targets mediated by the recruitment of H3K9me3 marks. Here, we identified Nxf2, a nuclear RNA export factor (NXF) variant, as a protein that forms a complex with Panx and Piwi. Nxf2 further associates with p15 (Nxt1), a co-adaptor for nuclear RNA export. However, unlike Nxf1 that plays a major role in mRNA export, Nxf2–p15 instead transcriptionally regulates TEs in the Piwi–piRNA pathway. Panx–Nxf2–p15 complex formation is necessary in the silencing by stabilizing protein levels of Nxf2 and Panx. Notably, ectopic targeting of Nxf2 initiates co-transcriptional repression of the target reporter in a manner independent of H3K9me3 marks or H1. However, continuous silencing requires HP1a and H1. The amino-terminal domain of Nxf2 harbouring RNA binding activity is essential for recruitment of the Piwi–piRISC complex to target TEs. Indeed, Nxf2 directly interacts with target TE transcripts in a Piwi-dependent manner. These findings suggest a model in which the Nxf2–Panx–p15 complex enforces the association of Piwi with target transcripts to trigger co-transcriptional repression, prior to heterochromatin formation in the nuclear piRNA pathway. Our results provide an unexpected connection between an NXF variant and small RNA-mediated co-transcriptional silencing. Overall design: mRNA levels, H3K9me3 occupancy, Nxf2 or Piwi associated RNA, and Piwi associated smRNA in ovarian somatic cells (OSC).