Histone variant His2Av is implicated in maintaining Piwi  protein abundance in the Drosophila melanogaster female  germline

Norbert Andrási; Katalin Fejes Tóth

doi:10.14232/abs.2026.1.34-39

Authors

Norbert Andrási California Institute of Technology , Division of Biology and Biological Engineering https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7183-9319
Katalin Fejes Tóth Cornell University , Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6558-2636

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14232/abs.2026.1.34-39

Keywords:

Drosophila melanogaster, female germline, His2Av, Piwi

Abstract

The PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway protects the germline from the deleterious effects of uncontrolled transposon expression in animals. Although the piRNA pathway and its components, such as Piwi, have been extensively studied, their regulation is not fully understood. We revealed a reduced mCherry-Piwi signal in Drosophila nurse cell nuclei and decreased mCherry-Piwi protein levels in His2Av depleted ovaries. In contrast, we did not detect any significant changes in piwi mRNA levels. Here, we report that His2Av is implicated in maintaining Piwi protein abundance in the Drosophila female germline, however its precise role remains to be elucidated.