A non-Dicer RNase III and four other novel factors required for RNAi-mediated transposon suppression in the human pathogenic yeastC. neoformans
AbstractThe human pathogenic yeastCryptococcus neoformanssilences transposable elements using endo-siRNAs and an Argonaute, Ago1. Endo-siRNAs production requires the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, Rdp1, and two partially redundant Dicer enzymes, Dcr1 and Dcr2, but is independent of histone H3 lysine 9 methylation. We describe here an insertional mutagenesis screen for factors required to suppress the mobilization of theC. neoformans HARBINGERfamily DNA transposonHAR1. Validation experiments uncovered five novel genes (RDE1-5) required forHAR1suppression and global production of suppressive endo-siRNAs. Loss of theRDEgenes does not impact transcript levels, suggesting the endo-siRNAs do not act by impacting target transcript synthesis or turnover.RDE3encodes a non-Dicer RNase III related toS. cerevisiaeRnt1,RDE4encodes a predicted terminal nucleotidyltransferase, whileRDE5has no strongly predicted encoded domains. Affinity purification-mass spectrometry studies reveal that Rde3 and Rde5 are physically associated.RDE1encodes a G-patch protein homologous to theS. cerevisiaeSqs1/Pfa1, a nucleolar protein that directly activates the essential helicase Prp43 during rRNA biogenesis. Rde1 copurifies Rde2, another novel protein obtained in the screen, as well as Ago1, a homolog of Prp43, and numerous predicted nucleolar proteins. We also describe the isolation of conditional alleles ofPRP43, which are defective in RNAi. This work reveals unanticipated requirements for a non-Dicer RNase III and presumptive nucleolar factors for endo-siRNA biogenesis and transposon mobilization suppression inC. neoformans.