DIC microscopy images of wild-type (top) and dpf -3 mutant (bottom) worms. Arrowhead indicate embryo, arrow indicate unfertilized oocytes in the uterus.
DIC microscopy images of wild-type ( top ) and dpf -3 mutant ( bottom ) worms. Arrowhead indicate embryo, arrow indicate unfertilized oocytes in the uterus. The protection of genome integrity of germ cells is essential for animal fertility. Researchers from the Grosshans group characterized a defense mechanism against selfish genetic elements in the C. elegans germline. They identified a protein processing mechanism that controls the activity of small RNAs to achieve specific silencing of transposons while sparing endogenous genes. So-called "selfish genetic elements? such as transposons are foreign DNA elements - typically from viral origin - that have been integrated in our genomes during evolution. These are a threat to genome integrity since they have the ability to move around the genome, causing DNA damage and potentially disrupting the function of important genes.
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