Small RNA-guided genome defense of foreign nucleic acids
Invasion of foreign nucleic acids, including transposon and viruses, is a fundamental threat to virtually the genome of all organisms. Failure to defend against foreign nucleic acids can lead to diseases, including infertility and cancer. Using nematode C. elegans as a model organism, our research have demonstrated a critical role of piRNA, germline enriched small RNAs, in silencing transposons and transgenes with foreign sequences.
We aim to address three fundamental questions regarding to such a genome defense system:
(1) How does the organism recognize the invading nucleic acids as “foreign” to mount a defense response?
(2) How does the organism mark “self” genes to keep them from being recognized?
(3) How does dysfunction of such genome defense system contribute to infertility?
We aim to address three fundamental questions regarding to such a genome defense system:
(1) How does the organism recognize the invading nucleic acids as “foreign” to mount a defense response?
(2) How does the organism mark “self” genes to keep them from being recognized?
(3) How does dysfunction of such genome defense system contribute to infertility?
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Roles of germ granules in mRNA surveillance and epigenetic inheritance
Germ (P) granules are phase-separated liquid droplets that are found in the germ cells of all animals. Intriguingly, many small RNA pathway factors are enriched in germ granules.
Our lab aim to investigate the following questions:
(1) How is germ granules assembly are regulated in space and time?
(2) What is the function of germ granule? In particularly we are interested in exploring their potential roles in small RNA-mediated gene regulation and epigenetic inheritance.
Our lab aim to investigate the following questions:
(1) How is germ granules assembly are regulated in space and time?
(2) What is the function of germ granule? In particularly we are interested in exploring their potential roles in small RNA-mediated gene regulation and epigenetic inheritance.
