Piwi5 dependent - transcriptome Aedes Albopictus

PIWI-interacting (pi)RNAs play a crucial role in safeguarding genome integrity by repressing transposable elements (TEs) in the animal germline. In Aedes mosquitoes, however, piRNAs also regulate gene expression in somatic tissues, suggesting functional diversification of the piRNA pathway. In particular, Piwi5 and Ago3 generate piRNAs from a diverse range of substrates, including protein-coding mRNAs and viral RNAs in Ae. aegypti, yet their roles in the invasive arbovirus vector Ae. albopictus remain poorly understood. Here, we generated Piwi5 knockouts (KO) in an Ae. Albopictus cell line, and found them to be deficient in production of piRNAs derived from TEs, piRNA clusters, endogenous viral elements, and Sindbis virus, and to be deficient in control of RNA expression of many transposable elements.