Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) have emerged as indispensable molecular regulators involved in maintaining genomic integrity, particularly in germline cells. Unlike other small RNAs such as miRNAs and siRNAs, piRNAs originate from single-stranded precursors without the need for Dicer-mediated cleavage. Their ability to guide PIWI-clade Argonaute proteins to silence transposons and modulate epigenetic states has positioned them at the forefront of modern RNA research. At BOC Sciences, we deliver tailored piRNA synthesis solutions with unmatched precision, enabling researchers to dissect the intricacies of RNA-mediated gene regulation and genome defense mechanisms with confidence and clarity.
Figure.1 Proposed piRNA structure, with the 3' end 2'-O-methylation.
Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) represent a class of small non-coding RNAs, typically 24–31 nucleotides in length, that function independently of Dicer enzymes. piRNAs bind to PIWI proteins (a subclass of the Argonaute family) to form piRNA-induced silencing complexes (piRISCs), mediating post-transcriptional gene silencing through cleavage of complementary RNA targets and transcriptional silencing via epigenetic modifications.
Transposon silencing is a major function of piRNAs. Transposons, also known as jumping genes, are basic units present on genes that can be replicated and displaced autonomously. piRNAs play a role in RNA silencing through the formation of the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). The complex targets and binds to complementary sequences on the transposon RNA molecule, resulting in degradation or inhibition of the transposon RNA. piRNA plays a role in RNA silencing by forming the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC).
The ping-pong cycle is a piRNA amplification mechanism involving reciprocal cleavage of piRNA precursors and target transposon transcripts. This cycle generates two types of piRNAs: the "initiator" piRNA, which guides cleavage of target RNA, and the "responder" piRNA, formed from the cleaved fragment. The precursor is further processed by the Trimmer exonuclease and stabilized by Hen1-mediated 2'-O-methylation, producing mature piRNAs ready for gene regulation and silencing functions.
Figure 2. The piRNA Ping-Pong cycling pathway mechanism.
At BOC Sciences, we translate piRNA biology into practical, reproducible, and scalable molecular tools through a deeply engineered synthesis platform optimized for sequence complexity, chemical stability, and mechanistic research. Our capabilities are not generic—they are specifically developed for researchers who require stringent control over piRNA structure, modification, and delivery-readiness.
BOC Sciences delivers highly refined single-stranded piRNAs with precise control over nucleotide length and end chemistry—essential parameters for mimicking native piRNA function and achieving optimal PIWI loading efficiency.
Precise Length Control for Functional Integrity
Sequence-Specific Antisense Design
Our team assists in:
Application-Ready Formats
Each piRNA is:
BOC Sciences offers a sophisticated chemical modification suite for piRNAs, purpose-built to meet the stringent requirements of stability, target engagement, delivery compatibility, and mechanistic dissection in advanced RNA biology studies. Our platform supports modular, position-specific modifications, enabling precise engineering of piRNA structure without compromising biological activity.
Backbone and Sugar Modifications for Stability and Functionality
To enhance resistance to endo- and exonucleases and modulate RNA-protein interactions, we provide:
| Modification | Position | Functional Effect | Price |
| 2'-O-Methyl (2'-OMe) | Site-specific or full-length | Mimics endogenous piRNA 3'-end; stabilizes against exonucleases | Inquiry |
| 2'-Fluoro (2'-F) | Selective positions | Increases duplex rigidity; enhances binding affinity | Inquiry |
| Phosphorothioate (PS) | Internucleotide backbone | Confers resistance to RNase H and plasma nucleases | Inquiry |
| Unlocked Nucleic Acids (UNA) | Internally inserted | Reduces off-target effects by destabilizing non-specific interactions | Inquiry |
5'- and 3'-Terminal Chemistry Optimization
To support different modes of research—from mechanistic studies to delivery development—we offer diverse terminal modification schemes:
| Terminal | Modification Options | Functional Purpose | Price |
| 5' End |
| Required for PIWI loading; biotin enables pull-down | Inquiry |
| 3' End |
| Enhances exonuclease resistance; enables imaging | Inquiry |
Effective delivery remains a major challenge in piRNA-based research and preclinical applications. BOC Sciences provides a comprehensive suite of site-specific conjugation strategies to enhance cellular uptake, tissue targeting, and pharmacokinetic profiles of synthetic piRNAs. Our customizable conjugation portfolio supports diverse delivery modalities and is designed to improve bioavailability and functional potency in complex biological systems.
Lipophilic Conjugates for Enhanced Cellular Uptake
| Conjugation Options | Description | Price |
| Cholesterol Conjugation | Attaching cholesterol moieties at the 3' or 5' terminus significantly improves piRNA membrane permeability via LDL receptor-mediated endocytosis pathways. This lipophilic modification is widely adopted for improving systemic delivery efficiency in vivo, particularly for targeting liver and kidney tissues. | Inquiry |
| Hydrophobic Anchors | Alternative hydrophobic ligands, such as tocopherol or stearyl groups, can be incorporated to optimize piRNA partitioning into lipid bilayers, facilitating enhanced endosomal escape and cytoplasmic release. | Inquiry |
Ligand-Mediated Targeting
| Conjugation Options | Description | Price |
| GalNAc (N-Acetylgalactosamine) Triantennary Conjugates | Triantennary GalNAc conjugation enables targeted delivery to hepatocytes by exploiting the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) pathway, a gold standard in RNA therapeutics targeting the liver. BOC Sciences' proprietary conjugation chemistry ensures stable and functional GalNAc-piRNA conjugates with consistent receptor affinity. | Inquiry |
| Peptide and Aptamer Conjugates | For tissue- or cell-specific targeting, custom peptides or aptamers can be covalently linked to piRNAs. This approach facilitates receptor-mediated endocytosis into target cells, enhancing uptake specificity and reducing off-target effects in complex biological systems. | Inquiry |
Pharmacokinetic Modulation
| Conjugation Options | Description | Price |
| PEGylation (Polyethylene Glycol) | Site-specific PEGylation of piRNAs improves serum half-life by reducing renal clearance and immunogenicity. PEG chains of varying molecular weights can be conjugated to balance prolonged circulation time with cellular uptake efficiency. | Inquiry |
| Cleavable Linkers | BOC Sciences provides cleavable conjugation linkers (e.g., disulfide bonds, enzymatically labile linkers) that allow controlled release of piRNA cargo within the reductive intracellular environment or specific enzymatic contexts, maximizing bioavailability and functional release. | Inquiry |
Our platform supports bespoke conjugation chemistries tailored to unique delivery systems, such as nanoparticle surface attachment, or multivalent ligand displays. We collaborate closely with clients to optimize conjugation site, stoichiometry, and linker chemistry, ensuring compatibility with downstream delivery modalities.
To ensure precise, reliable, and reproducible production of custom piRNAs, BOC Sciences follows a rigorously controlled and transparent workflow. Each step is designed to maintain sequence fidelity, optimize chemical modifications, and meet specific client requirements, enabling seamless integration into diverse preclinical research applications.
Initial discussion to confirm target sequence(s), length, and any required chemical modifications or conjugations. Technical feasibility and design optimization are reviewed.
For clients requiring assistance, our bioinformatics team provides tailored piRNA sequence design based on target gene information, species specificity, and piRNA cluster data to maximize functional efficacy and specificity.
Automated solid-phase synthesis of the single-stranded piRNA using high-precision phosphoramidite chemistry, incorporating specified modifications as per design.
The crude product undergoes rigorous purification by HPLC, followed by analytical validation including mass spectrometry and purity assessment to ensure sequence accuracy and integrity.
Purified piRNA is prepared in the desired format—lyophilized powder or solution—with appropriate buffers, then packaged under RNase-free, temperature-controlled conditions.
The final product is shipped with comprehensive documentation and COA. Technical support is available for guidance on handling, storage, and experimental use.
Leveraging state-of-the-art solid-phase synthesis coupled with rigorous purification, our piRNAs maintain exceptional sequence integrity, which is critical for functional studies and mechanistic validation in RNA interference research.
We provide extensive options for sequence length (24–31 nt), chemical modifications (including 2'-O-methylation, phosphorothioate linkages, and 5' phosphorylation), and labeling (fluorescent dyes, biotin). This flexibility ensures your piRNAs are precisely tailored to your experimental design and downstream applications.
Our specialized team of RNA biologists and chemists provide end-to-end support, assisting in sequence optimization, modification strategy, and experimental integration to accelerate your project timeline and increase success rates.
From pilot-scale nanomole quantities to larger micromole syntheses, we accommodate diverse project scales, ensuring timely delivery that aligns with your research progression and budget constraints.
All products are manufactured under controlled conditions suitable for advanced molecular biology and preclinical research, supporting rigorous data generation without clinical entanglements.
Custom piRNA molecules synthesized by BOC Sciences serve as robust tools in the exploration and manipulation of piRNA-mediated gene regulation, particularly in germline-specific and epigenetic contexts. Our piRNA synthesis service enables researchers to delve into complex regulatory networks, elucidate transposon suppression mechanisms, and investigate non-coding RNA dynamics with unprecedented precision. The applications span various domains of preclinical research:
piRNAs play a central role in maintaining genomic stability, particularly in germline cells, by targeting and silencing transposable elements (TEs) through both post-transcriptional cleavage and transcriptional repression. Synthetic piRNAs enable researchers to:
By engineering piRNAs complementary to specific coding or non-coding transcripts, researchers can suppress gene expression or modulate RNA processing in a PIWI-dependent manner. This opens novel avenues for:
Synthetic piRNAs have been shown to influence de novo DNA methylation, histone modification, and chromatin remodeling via recruitment of epigenetic machinery. Applications include:
piRNAs are indispensable in spermatogenesis, oocyte maturation, and maintenance of germline stem cells. Our piRNA tools support:
Synthetic piRNAs can be utilized to study interactions between various RNA species, such as miRNAs, lncRNAs, and transposon-derived RNAs. This helps elucidate:
Custom piRNA synthesis enables researchers to reconstruct ancestral piRNA clusters, test orthologous sequences across species, and model adaptive transposon resistance, offering powerful tools for:
BOC Sciences is committed to empowering next-generation small RNA research with flexible, high-quality piRNA synthesis services. Our synthesized piRNAs enable precise exploration of non-coding RNA functions in contexts ranging from fertility studies to chromatin regulation, and from genome stability to gene silencing technologies.
Clients can provide a known piRNA sequence, a genomic region of interest, or a target transcript. We also offer sequence prediction and optimization services upon request.
Yes. Our team offers bioinformatic design assistance, including identification of conserved piRNA clusters, target transcript prediction, and off-target risk evaluation, enabling you to initiate your project without needing a validated sequence.
We offer delivery as lyophilized powder or in RNase-free aqueous solution (custom buffer optional). Each order includes a comprehensive Certificate of Analysis (COA) and handling guidelines to ensure seamless integration into your workflow.
Absolutely. We support batch synthesis of piRNA libraries or panels, optimized for screening assays, functional genomics, and pathway mapping applications. Custom barcoding and plate formatting are available upon request.
Yes. Our PhD-level technical experts are available for consultation on transfection optimization, delivery systems, and target validation strategies to help you achieve optimal experimental outcomes.
Yes. We accommodate non-model species and uncommon base compositions. Simply provide species background or genomic data, and our team will assist in cross-species piRNA design or alignment-based target identification.
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