RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 SNPC-1.3 is a sex-specific transcription factor that drives male piRNA expression in C. elegans JF bioRxiv FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory SP 2020.08.06.240200 DO 10.1101/2020.08.06.240200 A1 Charlotte P. Choi A1 Rebecca J. Tay A1 Margaret R. Starostik A1 Suhua Feng A1 James J. Moresco A1 Brooke E. Montgomery A1 Emily Xu A1 Maya A. Hammonds A1 Michael C. Schatz A1 Taiowa A. Montgomery A1 John R. Yates III A1 Steven E. Jacobsen A1 John K. Kim YR 2020 UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2020/08/06/2020.08.06.240200.abstract AB Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) play essential roles in silencing repetitive elements to promote fertility in metazoans. Studies in worms, flies, and mammals reveal that piRNAs are expressed in a sex-specific manner. However, the mechanisms underlying this sex-specific regulation are unknown. Here we identify SNPC-1.3, a variant of a conserved subunit of the snRNA activating protein complex, as a male-specific piRNA transcription factor in C. elegans. Binding of SNPC-1.3 at male piRNA loci drives spermatogenic piRNA transcription and requires the core piRNA transcription factor SNPC-4. Loss of snpc-1.3 leads to depletion of male piRNAs and defects in male-dependent fertility. Furthermore, TRA-1, a master regulator of sex determination, binds to the snpc-1.3 promoter and represses its expression during oogenesis. Loss of TRA-1 targeting causes ectopic expression of snpc-1.3 and male piRNAs during oogenesis. Thus, sexual dimorphic regulation of snpc-1.3 coordinates male and female piRNA expression during germline development.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.