Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Mobile small RNAs: Sperm–companion communication

A series of genetic experiments demonstrates that small RNAs can direct gene silencing within germ cells in a non-cell-autonomous manner. This provides evidence for how plant germ and non-germ cells may communicate to maintain genome integrity during reproductive transitions.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: A model of how siRNAs derived from companion cells may mediate silencing in germ cells.

References

  1. Martínez, G., Panda, K., Köhler, C. & Slotkin, R. K. Nature Plants 2, 16030 (2016).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Slotkin, R. K. et al. Cell 136, 461–472 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Schoft, V. K. et al. EMBO Rep. 10, 1015–1021 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Grant-Downton, R. et al. Curr. Biol. 23, R599–R601 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Marí-Ordóñez, A. et al. Nature Genet. 45, 1029–1039 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Felippes, F. F. D., Ott, F. & Weigel, D. Nucleic Acids Res. 39, 2880–2889 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. McCue, A. D., Nuthikattu, S., Reeder, S. H. & Slotkin, R. K. PLoS Genet. 8, e1002474 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Aravin, A. A., Hannon, G. J. & Brennecke, J. Science 318, 761–764 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Chalker, D. L., Meyer, E. & Mochizuki, K. Cold Spring Harb. Persp. Biol. 5, a017764–a017764 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael D. Nodine.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Nodine, M. Mobile small RNAs: Sperm–companion communication. Nature Plants 2, 16041 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nplants.2016.41

Download citation

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nplants.2016.41

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing