Conserved protein Pir2ARS2 mediates gene repression through cryptic introns in lncRNAs

Abstract

In fission yeast, several lncRNAs act in cis to regulate expression of adjacent genes. Here, the authors show that the conserved Pir2ARS2 protein is targeted, along with splicing factors, to cryptic introns in lncRNAs and recruits effectors, including RNAi machinery, for gene repression.