title: Germ-granule components prevent somatic development in the C. elegans germline.
abstract: Specialized ribonucleoprotein organelles collectively known as germ granules are found in the germline cytoplasm from worms to humans [1]. In Drosophila, germ granules have been implicated in germline determination [2]. C. elegans germ granules, known as P granules, do not appear to be required for primordial germ cell (PGC) determination [3], but their components are still needed for fertility [4-6]. One potential role for P granules is to maintain germline fate and totipotency. This is suggested by the loss of P granules from germ cells that transform into somatic cell types, e.g., in germlines lacking MEX-3 and GLD-1 or upon neuronal induction by CHE-1 [7, 8]. However, it has not been established whether loss of P granules is the cause or effect of cell fate transformation. To test cause and effect, we severely compromised P granules by simultaneously knocking down factors that nucleate granule formation (PGL-1 and PGL-3) and promote their perinuclear localization (GLH-1 and GLH-4) [9] and investigated whether this causes germ cells to lose totipotency and initiate somatic reprogramming. We found that compromising P granules causes germ cells to express neuronal and muscle markers and send out neurite-like projections, suggesting that P granules maintain totipotency and germline identity by antagonizing somatic fate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA; Kathryn W. Davis Center for Regenerative Biology and Medicine, Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, Salisbury Cove, ME 04672, USA. Electronic address: dupdike@mdibl.org.
authors.forename: Dustin L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Updike
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew Kekūpa'a
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Knutson
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
authors.forename: Thea A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Egelhofer
authors.affiliation: Kathryn W. Davis Center for Regenerative Biology and Medicine, Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, Salisbury Cove, ME 04672, USA.
authors.forename: Anne C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Strome
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000254:growth & development*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C473313:CHE-1 protein, C elegans; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C094448:GLD-1 protein, C elegans; C102175:MEX-3 protein, C elegans; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C114543:PGL-1 protein, C elegans; C534959:PGL-3 protein, C elegans; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C098176:UNC-119 protein, C elegans; C524497:GLH-1 protein, C elegans; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases
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