Selfish conflict underlies RNA-mediated parent-of-origin effects. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38448590/)

These scientists wanted to understand how differences between genes inherited from our moms and dads can affect how they work in an organism. They studied a type of gene called a toxin-antidote element, which acts like a poison that can spread in a population by harming individuals that don't have it.

The scientists looked at two different wild isolates of a tiny worm called Caenorhabditis tropicalis and found that a specific toxin-antidote element called slow-1/grow-1 behaves differently depending on whether it is inherited from the mother or the father. They discovered that when the slow-1 toxin is inherited from the father, it gets turned off by a defense mechanism in the worm called the PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway. This defense mechanism involves certain proteins and enzymes that can control how genes are expressed.

However, when the slow-1/grow-1 element is inherited from the mother, the gene is not turned off because the maternal mRNA (instructions from the mother's gene) helps to stop the gene from being repressed. This means that the gene can still work normally even when it is supposed to be turned off.

The scientists found that this difference in how the slow-1/grow-1 gene is controlled depending on whether it comes from the mother or the father can affect how selfish genes spread in a population. This study helps us understand how genes can evolve and how differences between genes from our moms and dads can influence how they work in an organism.

Pliota P., Marvanova H., Koreshova A., Kaufman Y., Tikanova P., Krogull D., Hagmuller A., Widen SA., Handler D., Gokcezade J., Duchek P., Brennecke J., Ben-David E., Burga A. Selfish conflict underlies RNA-mediated parent-of-origin effects. Nature. 2024 Mar 6. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07155-z.