A descent into the nuage: the maelstrom of transposon control

In this issue of Developmental Cell, Soper et al. (2008) report that the mammalian MAELSTROM (MAEL) protein is critical for transposon silencing in the male germline. Loss of MAEL is associated with meiotic failure and DNA damage, suggesting that efficient transposable element restraining mechanisms must be in place for the preservation of germline integrity.