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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2024.09.10.612280

EBAX-1/ZSWIM8 destabilizes miRNAs resulting in transgenerational memory of a predatory trait

Quiobe, S. P.·Kalirad, A.·Roeseler, W.·Witte, H.·Wang, Y.·Roedelsperger, C.·Sommer, R. J.
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Abstract

Environmental influences on traits and associated transgenerational epigenetic inheritance have widespread implications, but remain controversial and underlying mechanisms poorly understood. We introduce long-term environmental induction experiments on alternative diets in Pristionchus pacificus, a nematode exhibiting mouth-form plasticity including predation, by propagating 110 isogenic lines for 101 generations with associated food-reversal experiments. We found dietary induction and subsequent transgenerational memory of the predatory morph and identified a role of ubiquitin ligase EBAX-1/ZSWIM8 in this process. Ppa-ebax-1 mutants have no memory and Ppa-EBAX-1 destabilizes the clustered microRNA family miR-2235a/miR-35. Deletions of a cluster of 44 identical miR-2235a copies resulted in precocious and extended transgenerational inheritance of the predatory morph. These findings indicate that EBAX-1/ZSWIM8 destabilizes miRNAs resulting in transgenerational memory, suggesting a role for target-directed miRNA degradation.

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Quiobe, S. P., Kalirad, A., Roeseler, W., Witte, H., Wang, Y., Roedelsperger, C., Sommer, R. J.. 2024-09-14. EBAX-1/ZSWIM8 destabilizes miRNAs resulting in transgenerational memory of a predatory trait. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.09.10.612280

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