# The interplay between transposons and piRNA pathways.

> **NIH NIH R01** · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · 2020 · $434,011

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
 Transposons are prolific genetic parasites infiltrating >45% of the human genome and are major proportions
of all animal genomes. Our lab studies how the Piwi/piRNA pathway, an arm of the RNA interference (RNAi)
system, recognizes and silences transposon transcripts to preserve genome stability and fertility. Our lab
specializes in examining the interplay and dynamics between transposons and the Piwi/piRNA pathway with
the goal of learning better how to prevent transposons from proliferating and negatively affecting animal health.
To fundamentally uncover the regulatory mechanisms between animal genomes and transposons, we are
deploying genomics, biochemical and small RNA analytical approaches on the Piwi/piRNA pathway.
 The major focus of this project is to study a hyper-mobile Har-P-element transposon variant that we
discovered is the ammunition for P-transposase to drive the infertility syndrome of gonadal dysgenesis (GD) in
Drosophila. Our project’s advantage relies on unique Drosophila strains and cell line assays developed in the
Lau lab to study how the Har-P-element is regulated by piRNAs, how the enhancer of the Flamenco piRNA
cluster can generate piRNAs from Har-P-elements, and how do Har-P piRNAs regulate intron splicing.
 This project will achieve the following aims in this project: Aim 1: Determine the mobilization capacity and
paternal silencing mechanism of the Har-P-element variant, a hypermobile transposon that drives severe GD.
Aim 2: Dissect the transcriptional regulation of P-element piRNAs coming from the Flamenco piRNA cluster
and the mechanistic link between piRNA silencing and intron splicing inhibition. This project will yield new
insight into transposon regulation, generate new research reagents and tools for studying the fertility syndrome
of GD, and inform on transgenerational epigenetic processes mediated by piRNAs.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10049792
- **Project number:** 1R01GM135215-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS
- **Principal Investigator:** NELSON C LAU
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $434,011
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-08-10 → 2024-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10049792

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10049792, The interplay between transposons and piRNA pathways. (1R01GM135215-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10049792. Licensed CC0.

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