Tissue-Specific Knockdown of Genes of the Argonaute Family Modulates Lifespan and Radioresistance in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

Small RNAs are essential to coordinate many cellular processes, including the regulation of gene expression patterns, the prevention of genomic instability, and the suppression of the mutagenic transposon activity. These processes determine the aging, longevity, and sensitivity of cells and an organism to stress factors (particularly, ionizing radiation). The biogenesis and activity of small RNAs are provided by proteins of the Argonaute family. These proteins participate in the processing of small RNA precursors and the formation of an RNA-induced silencing complex. However, the role of Argonaute proteins in regulating lifespan and radioresistance remains poorly explored. We studied the effect of knockdown of Argonaute genes (AGO1, AGO2, AGO3, piwi) in various tissues on the Drosophila melanogaster lifespan and survival after the γ-irradiation at a dose of 700 Gy. In most cases, these parameters are reduced or did not change significantly in flies with tissue-specific RNA interference. Surprisingly, piwi knockdown in both the fat body and the nervous system causes a lifespan increase. But changes in radioresistance depend on the tissue in which the gene was knocked out. In addition, analysis of changes in retrotransposon levels and expression of stress response genes allow us to determine associated molecular mechanisms.

Exposure to Temperature and Insecticides Modulates the Expression of Small Noncoding RNA-Associated Transcripts in the Colorado Potato Beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

“…Follow-up work highlighted the involvement of the piRNAs piRNA-3312 and piRNA-3878 as part of a pyrethroid response in this same species ( Guo et al 2017 , Ye et al 2017 ). RNAi-based approaches in D. melanogaster showed in female flies that modulation of Ago2 and Ago3, an important player in insect piRNA processing and function ( Yamashiro and Siomi 2018 ), was associated with increased resistance to radiation exposure ( Proshkina et al 2021 ) supporting further investigation of piRNA expression and function in insect stress response. These studies warrant a closer investigation of the activity of small noncoding RNAs synthetic cascades with respect to insecticides response and resistance in L. decemlineata .…”

Effect of selective drugs that modulate the response to DNA damage on the radioresistance of Drosophila melanogaster

“…Для каждого варианта эксперимента отбирали по 120-150 особей каждого пола в течение 24 ч после вылупления имаго. Условия содержания дрозофил были такими же, как в наших предыдущих работах [14,15].…”

“…Анализ выживаемости. Оценку выживаемости и статистическую обработку данных выполняли по методике, описанной ранее [15,16]. Эксперимент проводили в трех независимых биологических повторностях.…”