Tie-Break: Host and Retrotransposons Play tRNA

Publication date: Available online 19 June 2018
Source:Trends in Cell Biology
Author(s): Andrea J. Schorn, Rob Martienssen
tRNA fragments (tRFs) are a class of small, regulatory RNAs with diverse functions. 3′-Derived tRFs perfectly match long terminal repeat (LTR)-retroelements which use the 3′-end of tRNAs to prime reverse transcription. Recent work has shown that tRFs target LTR-retroviruses and -transposons for the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway and also inhibit mobility by blocking reverse transcription. The highly conserved tRNA primer binding site (PBS) in LTR-retroelements is a unique target for 3′-tRFs to recognize and block abundant but diverse LTR-retrotransposons that become transcriptionally active during epigenetic reprogramming in development and disease. 3′-tRFs are processed from full-length tRNAs under so far unknown conditions and potentially protect many cell types. tRFs appear to be an ancient link between RNAi, transposons, and genome stability.



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