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pubmed:abstractText |
Because of the mutagenic consequences of mobile genetic elements, elaborate defenses have evolved to restrict their activity. A major system that controls the activity of transposable elements (TEs) in flies and vertebrates is mediated by Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), which are approximately 24-30 nucleotide RNAs that are bound by Piwi-class effectors. The piRNA system is thought to provide primarily a germline defense against TE activity.
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pubmed:affiliation |
Department of Developmental Biology, Sloan-Kettering Institute, 521 Rockefeller Research Laboratories, 1275 York Ave, Box 252, New York, New York 10065, USA.
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