title: Repression of somatic cell fate in the germline.
abstract: Germ cells must transmit genetic information across generations, and produce gametes while also maintaining the potential to form all cell types after fertilization. Preventing the activation of somatic programs is, therefore, crucial to the maintenance of germ cell identity. Studies in Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, and mouse have revealed both similarities and differences in how somatic gene expression is repressed in germ cells, thereby preventing their conversion into somatic tissues. This review will focus on recent developments in our understanding of how global or gene-specific transcriptional repression, chromatin regulation, and translational repression operate in the germline to maintain germ cell identity and repress somatic differentiation programs.
authors.affiliation: Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université de Lyon, 46 allée d'Italie, 69007, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Valérie J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Robert
authors.affiliation: Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université de Lyon, 46 allée d'Italie, 69007, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Garvis
authors.affiliation: Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université de Lyon, 46 allée d'Italie, 69007, Lyon, France. francesca.palladino@ens-lyon.fr.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Palladino
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000502:physiology*; D002843:Chromatin / Q000502:physiology*; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004330:Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D042925:Positive Transcriptional Elongation Factor B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D055760:SOXF Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: C525044:Blimp-1 protein, Drosophila; D002843:Chromatin; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C109188:SOX17 protein, human; D055760:SOXF Transcription Factors; D042925:Positive Transcriptional Elongation Factor B; D012319:RNA Polymerase II
keywords: Differentiation; Histones; Polar granules; Reprogramming; Teratoma; Totipotency