Article Synopsis
- Long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons are genetic elements that can replicate and integrate into host genomes, with Drosophila melanogaster being a key model organism for their study.
- This research focuses on the Ty1-copia retrotransposon, which forms virus-like particles (VLPs), and employs advanced imaging techniques to visualize their structure in ovarian cells at high resolution.
- The study reveals that nuclear copia VLPs are uniform in size and suggests that the nuclear import process may select for these particles, further linking their translocation to the reproductive process in flies lacking the piRNA pathway.
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Article Abstract
Long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons belong to the transposable elements (TEs), autonomously replicating genetic elements that integrate into the host's genome. Among animals, Drosophila melanogaster serves as an important model organism for TE research and contains several LTR retrotransposons, including the Ty1-copia family, which is evolutionarily related to retroviruses and forms virus-like particles (VLPs). In this study, we use cryo-focused ion beam (FIB) milling and lift-out approaches to visualize copia VLPs in ovarian cells and intact egg chambers, resolving the in situ copia capsid structure to 7.7 Å resolution by cryoelectron tomography (cryo-ET). Although cytoplasmic copia VLPs vary in size, nuclear VLPs are homogeneous and form densely packed clusters, supporting a model in which nuclear import acts as a size selector. Analyzing flies deficient in the TE-suppressing PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway, we observe copia's translocation into the nucleus during spermatogenesis. Our findings provide insights into the replication cycle and cellular structural biology of an active LTR retrotransposon.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2025.02.003 | DOI Listing |
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