The TRIM-NHL protein NHL-2 is a Novel Co-Factor of the CSR-1 and HRDE-1 22G-RNA Pathways

Abstract

21Proper regulation of germline gene expression is essential for fertility and maintaining species integrity. 22In the C. elegans germline, a diverse repertoire of regulatory pathways promote the expression of 23 endogenous germline genes and limit the expression of deleterious transcripts to maintain genome 24 homeostasis. Here we show that the conserved TRIM-NHL protein, NHL-2, plays an essential role in 25 the C. elegans germline, modulating germline chromatin and meiotic chromosome organization. We 26 uncover a role for NHL-2 as a co-factor in both positively (CSR-1) and negatively (HRDE-1) acting 27 germline 22G-small RNA pathways and the somatic nuclear RNAi pathway. Furthermore, we 28 demonstrate that NHL-2 is a bona fide RNA binding protein and, along with RNA-seq data point to a 29 small RNA independent role for NHL-2 in regulating transcripts at the level of RNA stability. 30