Transcritome profiling of plp-1-mutant Caenorhabditis elegans

Through high-throuhgput RNA-sequencing, this study identifies mRNAs that are differentially expressed between plp-1(ok2155) and wild-type C. elegans. Analysed results are published in Development. 2020 Oct 13:dev.195578. doi: 10.1242/dev.195578. PMID: 33051256 Abstract of the publication: The germ line genome is guarded against invading foreign genetic elements by small RNA-dependent gene-silencing pathways. Components of these pathways localize to, or form distinct aggregates in the vicinity of, germ granules. These components and their dynamics in and out of granules are currently being intensively studied. Here, we report the identification of PLP-1, a C. elegans protein related to the human single-stranded nucleic acid-binding protein called Pur-alpha, as a component of germ granules in C. elegans We show that PLP-1 is essential for silencing different types of transgenes in the germ line, and for suppressing the expression of several endogenous genes controlled by the germline gene-silencing pathways. Our results reveal that PLP-1 functions downstream of small RNA biogenesis during initiation of gene silencing. Based on these results and the earlier findings that Pur-alpha proteins interact with both RNA and protein, we propose PLP-1 couples certain RNAs with their protein partners in the silencing complex. Its orthologs localized on RNA granules may similarly contribute to germline gene silencing in other organisms. Samples: Wild-type strain N2 (Sample A) and plp-1(ok2155) (Sample B). Replicates: Three biological replicates (A1, A2, A3 and B1, B2 and B3) Developmental stage: Mixed-stage hermaphrodites grown at 20C