Endogenous RNAi and adaptation to environment in C. elegans

The contributions of short RNAs to the control of repetitive elements are well documented in animals and plants. Here, the role of endogenous RNAi and AF10 homolog ZFP-1 in the adaptation of C. elegans to the environment is discussed. First, modulation of insulin signaling through regulation of transcription of the PDK-1 kinase (Mansisidor et al., PLoS Genetics, 2011) is reviewed. Second, an siRNA-based natural selection model is proposed in which variation in endogenous siRNA pools between individuals is subject to natural selection similarly to DNA-based genetic variation. The value of C. elegans for the research of siRNA-based epigenetic variation and adaptation is highlighted.