Investigating the role of the piRNA pathway in transposon control within the human disease vector Aedes aegytpi.

The most recent class of small RNAs to be discovered is the Piwi interacting piRNA. PiRNAs were first discovered in mice by Aravin et al. 2006. Currently piRNAs are believed to be involved in transposon and endogenous retrovirus control in both the germline and somatic cells. The role piRNAs play in transposon control is only beginning to be understood. The important proteins involved in the pathway have been identified but the details in how they function together to create a targeted response are still not fully worked out. Our research investigates the function, expression and targets of the piRNAs associated with the PIWI protein in Aedes aegypti. To date no investigations into the piRNA pathway have been performed in mosquito systems. Here we aim to determine the tissues and developmental stages in which the putative Piwi proteins are expressed in the medically significant Aedes aegypti. We have characterized the piRNAs that are bound to the Piwi protein via co-immunoprecipitation in vivo. The isolated piRNAs were analyzed bioinformatically and mapped to the Aedes aegypti genome to determine the targets of these small RNAs. The information provided in this study provides valuable insight into how the Piwi proteins are functioning in mosquitoes. This knowledge may in turn help us understand transposon control thus enabling us to develop techniques to circumvent transposon silencing and boost transformation efficiency of mosquitoes.