Mili and Miwi target RNA repertoire reveals piRNA biogenesis and function of Miwi in spermiogenesis

Piwi proteins bind a class of small germline RNAs, called piRNAs, whose biogenesis and functions are largely unknown. High-throughput sequencing after cross-linking and immunoprecipitation (HITS-CLIP) analysis in combination with RNA sequencing to analyze the genome-wide RNA target repertoire of mouse Piwi (Miwi) proteins in testis uncovers the in vivo piRNA biogenesis pathway and demonstrates that Miwi binds spermiogenic RNAs directly without using piRNAs as guides.