The transcription factor Traffic jam orchestrates the somatic piRNA pathway in Drosophila ovaries
The PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway is essential for transposable element (TE) silencing in animal gonads. While the transcriptional regulation of piRNA pathway components in germ cells has been documented in mice and flies, their control in somatic cells of Drosophila ovaries remains unresolved. Here, we demonstrate that Traffic jam (Tj), the Drosophila ortholog of large Maf transcription factors in mammals, is a master regulator of the somatic piRNA pathway. Tj binds to regulatory regions of somatic piRNA factors and the major piRNA cluster flamenco, which carries a Tj-bound enhancer downstream of its promoter. Depletion of Tj in somatic follicle cells causes downregulation of piRNA factors, loss of flamenco expression, and derepression of gypsy-family TEs. We propose that the arms race between the host and TEs led to the co-evolution of promoters in piRNA pathway genes as well as TE regulatory regions, which both rely on a shared transcription factor.
Authors
- Nathalie Gueguen
- Azad Alizada (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2313-965X)
- Benjamin Bertin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9160-3717)
- Vincent Mirouse (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5823-342X)
- Aline Redondo Martins (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2931-4981)
- Gregory J. Hannon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4021-3898)
- Nelson C. Lau (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9907-1404)
- Benjamin Czech Nicholson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8471-0007)
- Abdou Akkouche (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4781-2861)
- Stéphanie Maupetit‐Mehouas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5952-3717)
- Émilie Brasset (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2479-7969)
- José Antonio Suárez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9407-1624)
- Nolwenn Mouniée
- Austin J Rivera
- Anna-Maria Papameletiou
Institutions
- Boston University (US)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Inserm (FR)
- Université Clermont Auvergne (FR)
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- Cancer Research UK (GB)
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Center (GB)
- Clermont Université (FR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Cell Reports
- Published
- 2025-04-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2025.115453
- Citations
- 8
- Primary Topic
- Chromosomal and Genetic Variations
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 14.00
Funders
- Wellcome Trust
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche
- Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge