Molecular combing compared to Southern blot for measuring D4Z4 contractions in FSHD.

We compare molecular combing to Southern blot in the analysis of the facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy type 1 locus (FSHD1) on chromosome 4q35-qter (chr 4q) in genomic DNA specimens sent to a clinical laboratory for FSHD testing. A de-identified set of 87 genomic DNA specimens determined by Southern blot as normal (n = 71), abnormal with D4Z4 macrosatellite repeat array contractions (n = 7), indeterminate (n = 6), borderline (n = 2), or mosaic (n = 1) was independently re-analyzed by molecular combing in a blinded fashion. The molecular combing results were identical to the Southern blot results in 75 (86%) of cases. All contractions (n = 7) and mosaics (n = 1) detected by Southern blot were confirmed by molecular combing. Of the 71 samples with normal Southern blot results, 67 (94%) had concordant molecular combing results. The four discrepancies were either mosaic (n = 2), rearranged (n = 1), or borderline by molecular combing (n = 1). All indeterminate Southern blot results (n = 6) were resolved by molecular combing as either normal (n = 4), borderline (n = 1), or rearranged (n = 1). The two borderline Southern blot results showed a D4Z4 contraction on the chr 4qA allele and a normal result by molecular combing. Molecular combing overcomes a number of technical limitations of Southern blot by providing direct visualization of D4Z4 macrosatellite repeat arrays on specific chr 4q and chr 10q alleles and more precise D4Z4 repeat sizing. This study suggests that molecular combing has superior analytical validity compared to Southern blot for determining D4Z4 contraction size, detecting mosaicism, and resolving borderline and indeterminate Southern blot results. Further studies are needed to establish the clinical validity and diagnostic accuracy of these findings in FSHD.

Tudor domain ERI-5 tethers an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase to DCR-1 to potentiate endo-RNAi.

Endogenous RNA interference (endo-RNAi) pathways use a variety of mechanisms to generate siRNA and to mediate gene silencing. In Caenorhabditis elegans, DCR-1 is essential for competing RNAi pathways-the ERI endo-RNAi pathway and the exogenous RNAi pathway-to function. Here, we demonstrate that DCR-1 forms exclusive complexes in each pathway and further define the ERI-DCR-1 complex. We show that the tandem tudor protein ERI-5 potentiates ERI endo-RNAi by tethering an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) module to DCR-1. In the absence of ERI-5, the RdRP module is uncoupled from DCR-1. Notably, EKL-1, an ERI-5 paralog that specifies distinct RdRP modules in Dicer-independent endo-RNAi pathways, partially compensates for the loss of ERI-5 without interacting with DCR-1. Our results implicate tudor proteins in the recruitment of RdRP complexes to specific steps within DCR-1-dependent and DCR-1-independent endo-RNAi pathways.

Sequential rounds of RNA-dependent RNA transcription drive endogenous small-RNA biogenesis in the ERGO-1/Argonaute pathway.

Argonaute (AGO) proteins interact with distinct classes of small RNAs to direct multiple regulatory outcomes. In many organisms, including plants, fungi, and nematodes, cellular RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRPs) use AGO targets as templates for amplification of silencing signals. Here, we show that distinct RdRPs function sequentially to produce small RNAs that target endogenous loci in Caenorhabditis elegans. We show that DCR-1, the RdRP RRF-3, and the dsRNA-binding protein RDE-4 are required for the biogenesis of 26-nt small RNAs with a 5' guanine (26G-RNAs) and that 26G-RNAs engage the Piwi-clade AGO, ERGO-1. Our findings support a model in which targeting by ERGO-1 recruits a second RdRP (RRF-1 or EGO-1), which in turn transcribes 22G-RNAs that interact with worm-specific AGOs (WAGOs) to direct gene silencing. ERGO-1 targets exhibit a nonrandom distribution in the genome and appear to include many gene duplications, suggesting that this pathway may control overexpression resulting from gene expansion.

The Argonaute CSR-1 and its 22G-RNA cofactors are required for holocentric chromosome segregation.

RNAi-related pathways regulate diverse processes, from developmental timing to transposon silencing. Here, we show that in C. elegans the Argonaute CSR-1, the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase EGO-1, the Dicer-related helicase DRH-3, and the Tudor-domain protein EKL-1 localize to chromosomes and are required for proper chromosome segregation. In the absence of these factors chromosomes fail to align at the metaphase plate and kinetochores do not orient to opposing spindle poles. Surprisingly, the CSR-1-interacting small RNAs (22G-RNAs) are antisense to thousands of germline-expressed protein-coding genes. Nematodes assemble holocentric chromosomes in which continuous kinetochores must span the expressed domains of the genome. We show that CSR-1 interacts with chromatin at target loci but does not downregulate target mRNA or protein levels. Instead, our findings support a model in which CSR-1 complexes target protein-coding domains to promote their proper organization within the holocentric chromosomes of C. elegans.

Distinct argonaute-mediated 22G-RNA pathways direct genome surveillance in the C. elegans germline.

Endogenous small RNAs (endo-siRNAs) interact with Argonaute (AGO) proteins to mediate sequence-specific regulation of diverse biological processes. Here, we combine deep-sequencing and genetic approaches to explore the biogenesis and function of endo-siRNAs in C. elegans. We describe conditional alleles of the Dicer-related helicase, drh-3, that abrogate both RNA interference and the biogenesis of endo-siRNAs, called 22G-RNAs. DRH-3 is a core component of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) complexes essential for several distinct 22G-RNA systems. We show that, in the germline, one system is dependent on worm-specific AGOs, including WAGO-1, which localizes to germline nuage structures called P granules. WAGO-1 silences certain genes, transposons, pseudogenes, and cryptic loci. Finally, we demonstrate that components of the nonsense-mediated decay pathway function in at least one WAGO-mediated surveillance pathway. These findings broaden our understanding of the biogenesis and diversity of 22G-RNAs and suggest additional regulatory functions for small RNAs.

PRG-1 and 21U-RNAs interact to form the piRNA complex required for fertility in C. elegans.

In metazoans, Piwi-related Argonaute proteins have been linked to germline maintenance, and to a class of germline-enriched small RNAs termed piRNAs. Here we show that an abundant class of 21 nucleotide small RNAs (21U-RNAs) are expressed in the C. elegans germline, interact with the C. elegans Piwi family member PRG-1, and depend on PRG-1 activity for their accumulation. The PRG-1 protein is expressed throughout development and localizes to nuage-like structures called P granules. Although 21U-RNA loci share a conserved upstream sequence motif, the mature 21U-RNAs are not conserved and, with few exceptions, fail to exhibit complementarity or evidence for direct regulation of other expressed sequences. Our findings demonstrate that 21U-RNAs are the piRNAs of C. elegans and link this class of small RNAs and their associated Piwi Argonaute to the maintenance of temperature-dependent fertility.