PIWIL3-piRNA pathway controls rabbit oogenesis and embryogenesis via broad regulation of the transcriptome and proteome - PubMed
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- The PIWIL3-piRNA pathway plays a crucial role in rabbit female fertility by regulating oogenesis and early embryogenesis.
- PIWIL3 is the predominant PIWI protein in rabbit oocytes, resembling its human counterpart, and its knockout via CRISPR-Cas9 causes severe fertility defects.
- Loss of maternal PIWIL3 leads to oogenic defects and arrests embryo development by the 8-cell stage.
- PIWIL3 binds to ~18-nucleotide piRNAs, supports piRNA biogenesis, and broadly regulates transcriptomic, proteomic, and transposable element dynamics during oocyte maturation and early embryogenesis.
- This study establishes PIWIL3 as an essential regulator of female fertility in non-rodent mammals, including potentially humans, highlighting its importance beyond mouse models.