Germ granules and gene regulation in the<i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>germline

Phillips, Carolyn M.; Updike, Dustin L.

doi:10.1093/genetics/iyab195

Cited by 42 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 184 publications

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“…Of particular interest is defining in full the relationship between germ cell granules, if any. To this end, recent work in the C. elegans germ granule may provide valuable insight into the demarcation, and further subdivision of granules within germ cells 103 much like stress granules serve as a model for developing new granule imaging modalities. Supporting the notion of closely related or interacting mammalian germ granules is the dramatic overlap in protein composition between at least four of the five spermatocyte granules.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modern tools applied to classic structures: Approaches for mammalian male germ cell RNA granule research

Chukrallah

Snyder

2022

Andrology

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First reported in the 1800s, germ cell granules are small nonmembrane bound RNA‐rich regions of the cytoplasm. These sites of critical RNA processing and storage in the male germ cell are essential for proper differentiation and development and are present in a wide range of species from Caenorhabditis elegans through mammals. Initially characterized by light and electron microscopy, more modern techniques such as immunofluorescence and genetic models have played a major role in expanding our understanding of the composition of these structures. While these methods have given light to potential granule functions, much work remains to be done. The current expansion of imaging technologies and omics‐scale analyses to germ cell granule research will drive the field forward considerably. Many of these methods, both current and upcoming, have considerable caveats and limitations that necessitate a holistic approach to the study of germ granules. By combining and balancing different techniques, the field is poised to elucidate the nature of these critical structures.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modern tools applied to classic structures: Approaches for mammalian male germ cell RNA granule research

Chukrallah

Snyder

2022

Andrology

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“…In C. elegans , the CUL‐3‐based ubiquitin ligase regulates the meiosis‐to‐mitosis transition of fertilised embryos by triggering the degradation of MEI‐1 (Bowerman & Kurz, 2006). In C. elegans , P granules are required for oocyte and sperm differentiation and proliferation (Philips & Updike, 2022). Upon oocyte fertilisation, the transition to embryogenesis triggers downregulation of the MEI‐1–katanin microtubule‐severing complex by a Cullin‐dependent degradation pathway.…”

Section: Eif4e In Caenorhabditis Elegansmentioning

confidence: 99%

eIF4E as a molecular wildcard in metazoans RNA metabolism

Hernández

Vázquez-Pianzola

2023

Biological Reviews

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The evolutionary origin of eukaryotes spurred the transition from prokaryotic‐like translation to a more sophisticated, eukaryotic translation. During this process, successive gene duplication of a single, primordial eIF4E gene encoding the mRNA cap‐binding protein eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) gave rise to a plethora of paralog genes across eukaryotes that underwent further functional diversification in RNA metabolism. The ability to take different roles is due to eIF4E promiscuity in binding many partner proteins, rendering eIF4E a highly versatile and multifunctional player that functions as a molecular wildcard. Thus, in metazoans, eIF4E paralogs are involved in various processes, including messenger RNA (mRNA) processing, export, translation, storage, and decay. Moreover, some paralogs display differential expression in tissues and developmental stages and show variable biochemical properties. In this review, we discuss recent advances shedding light on the functional diversification of eIF4E in metazoans. We emphasise humans and two phylogenetically distant species which have become paradigms for studies on development, namely the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans.

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“…P-body-like condensates associate with P granules in germ plasm in tight assemblies containing a central P granule surrounded by several P-body-like condensates (Gallo et al, 2008). Dozens of proteins have been reported to enrich in granules in the C. elegans germ plasm (Updike and Strome, 2010; Phillips and Updike, 2022), and, in most cases, it is not known whether these localize to P granules proper (as defined by PGL-3 and MEG-3) or to the closely apposed P-body-like condensates described in Gallo et al 2008, or to both. In particular, MEG-1 and MEG-2 are two intrinsically-disordered proteins, distantly related to MEG-3 and MEG-4, and originally described as P granule proteins (Leacock and Reinke, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Specialized germline P-bodies are required to specify germ cell fate in C. elegans embryos

Cassani

Seydoux

2022

Preprint

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In animals with germ plasm, specification of the germline involves “germ granules”, cytoplasmic condensates that enrich maternal transcripts in the germline founder cells. In C. elegans embryos, P granules enrich maternal transcripts, but surprisingly P granules are not essential for germ cell fate specification. Here we describe a second condensate in the C. elegans germ plasm. Like canonical P-bodies found in somatic cells, “germline P-bodies” contain regulators of mRNA decapping and deadenylation and, in addition, the intrinsically-disordered proteins MEG-1 and MEG-2 and the TIS11-family RNA-binding protein POS-1. Embryos lacking meg-1 and meg-2 do not stabilize P-body components, miss-regulate POS-1 targets, miss-specify the germline founder cell, and do not develop a germline. Our findings suggest that specification of the germ line involves at least two distinct condensates that independently enrich and regulate maternal mRNAs in the germline founder cells.

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Germ granules and gene regulation in theCaenorhabditis elegansgermline

Cited by 42 publications

References 184 publications

Modern tools applied to classic structures: Approaches for mammalian male germ cell RNA granule research

Modern tools applied to classic structures: Approaches for mammalian male germ cell RNA granule research

eIF4E as a molecular wildcard in metazoans RNA metabolism

Specialized germline P-bodies are required to specify germ cell fate in C. elegans embryos

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