title: A conserved germline multipotency program.
abstract: The germline of multicellular animals is segregated from somatic tissues, which is an essential developmental process for the next generation. Although certain ecdysozoans and chordates segregate their germline during embryogenesis, animals from other taxa segregate their germline after embryogenesis from multipotent progenitor cells. An overlapping set of genes, including vasa, nanos and piwi, operate in both multipotent precursors and in the germline. As we propose here, this conservation implies the existence of an underlying germline multipotency program in these cell types that has a previously underappreciated and conserved function in maintaining multipotency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
authors.forename: Celina E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Juliano
authors.forename: S Zachary
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Swartz
authors.forename: Gary M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Wessel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006157:Guanosine Monophosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D012617:Sea Urchins / Q000196:embryology
chemical_list: D006157:Guanosine Monophosphate