The paper shows that DAF-18/PTEN prevents tumors in C. elegans by enhancing calcium sensitivity through IIS-calcium cross-talk, reducing germ tissue turnover.

bioRxiv · Aug 31, 2026 · PreprintDevelopmental Biology

CSDE1 promotes passenger strand cleavage of miR-486

Arezou Arvand, Yunkoo Ko, Tony Chen, Emily Tsao, Meha K. Patel, Lucas Hiscock, Louis-Mathieu Harvey, Martin J. Simard, Kristin J. Hope, Chanseok Shin, Pavan Kumar Kakumani

The paper identifies CSDE1 as a cofactor that promotes AGO2-dependent passenger-strand cleavage of miR-486-5p, enhancing its maturation and function in hematological malignancies.

RNA Biology · Mar 30, 2026Peer-reviewedMolecular Biology

DAF-18/PTEN prevents oocyte wastage in spermless C. elegans hermaphrodites by blocking spermatheca neck dilation through RHO-1/RhoA disinhibition

Jichao Deng, Armi M Chaudhari, Olivier Gagné, Vincent Roy, Benjamin Dufour, Pier-Olivier Martel, Martin J. Simard, Patrick Narbonne

bioRxiv · Sep 16, 2025 · PreprintGenetics

Interaction between a J-domain co-chaperone and a specific Argonaute protein contributes to microRNA function in animals

Pierre‐Marc Frédérick, Guillaume Jannot, Isabelle Banville, Martin J. Simard

This study identifies DNJ-12 as a co-chaperone specific to ALG-1, a miRNA-specific Argonaute in C. elegans, showing its role in miRNA function and gene silencing.

Nucleic Acids Research · Apr 3, 2024Peer-reviewedMolecular Biology

Defining the contribution of microRNA-specific slicing Argonautes in animals

Anisha Pal, Vaishnav Vasudevan, François Houle, Michael Lantin, Katherine A Maniates, Miguel Quévillon Huberdeau, Allison L. Abbott, Martin J. Simard

This study shows that slicing activity of microRNA-specific Argonautes in C. elegans affects miRNA levels and animal fitness under specific conditions.

bioRxiv · Jan 19, 2023 · PreprintMolecular Biology