The Caenorhabditis elegans Piwi-family protein associated with 21U piRNAs and germline surveillance of RNA expression.
Recognition by its associated small RNAs helps distinguish transcripts for germline surveillance. Establishing a persistent silenced state additionally involves downstream pathways, so initial recognition and long-term maintenance are different stages. [ref]
piRNAs Can Trigger a Multigenerational Epigenetic Memory in the Germline of C. elegans by Alyson Ashe and others. 2012, recognition and inherited silencing
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