MIWI-independent small RNAs (MSY-RNAs) bind to the RNA-binding protein, MSY2, in male germ cells.

Xu, Mingang; Medvedev, Sergey; Yang, Juxiang; Hecht, Norman B · Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A · 2009

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

The germ cell-specific DNA/RNA-binding protein MSY2 binds small RNAs (MSY-RNAs) that are approximately 25-31 nt in length, often initiate with a 5' adenine, and are expressed in both germ cells and somatic cells. MSY-RNA levels do not decrease in Miwi or Msy2 null mice. Most MSY-RNAs map within annotated genes, but some are PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA)-like and map to piRNA clusters. MSY-RNAs are in both nuclei and cytoplasm. In nuclei, MSY-RNAs are enriched in chromatin, and in the cytoplasm they are detected in both ribonucleoproteins and polysomes.

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