Together with pid-4, it is involved in gene silencing mediated by a class of 21 nucleotide PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) that possess a uracil residue at the 5'-end (also called 21U-RNAs) and guide the Piwi protein prg-1 to its DNA targets for silencing (PubMed:33231880). Together with pid-4, it is required for the biogenesis of secondary and tertiary 22G-siRNAs (PubMed:33231880). Specifically, promotes the production of 22G-siRNAs from the 5' end of target mRNAs (PubMed:33231880). Together with pid-4, plays a role in small RNA-directed transgenerational epigenetic inheritance (also called RNAe) over several generations and germline immortality (PubMed:33231880). Together with pid-4, plays a role in the formation of liquid-like condensates in the cytoplasm called Z granules (PubMed:33231880). {Experimental EvidencePubMed:33231880}.
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Department of Biology
Biophysics & Bioinformatics Laboratory