tRNA-derived small RNAs: New players in genome protection against retrotransposons

Abstract

Previously believed to be mere random degradation products, tRNA-derived small RNAs have been lately connected to a series of functions that include, surprisingly, genome protection against retrotransposons. tRNAs have been known for a long time to be involved in the replication cycle of retroviruses, pararetroviruses and retrotransposons as primers of their reverse transcription. tRNA-derived small RNAs, as functional small RNAs or as mere tRNA degradation products, have emerged as important players in the regulation of genic transcription. Nevertheless, the involvement of functional sRNAs derived from tRNA transcripts in transposon posttranscriptional control is a regulatory layer that remained elusive until now. Here I review the recent discoveries in the field that connect tRNA-derived small RNAs and retrotransposon control.

Keywords

RNAi; RNA silencing; tRNAs; tRFs; tRNA halves; epigenetics; transposable elements; retrotransposons; LTR retrotransposons

Published in

RNA Biology
2018, Volume: 15, number: 2, pages: 170-175 Publisher: TAYLOR & FRANCIS INC

SLU Authors

• Martinez-Arias, Germán

  • Department of Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Genetics


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15476286.2017.1403000

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/93994