RNA Granules in Germ Cells
- 1Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Center for Cell Dynamics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- 2Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
- Correspondence: evoronina{at}jhmi.edu (E.V.); gseydoux{at}jhmi.edu (G.S.); psc{at}uci.edu (P.S.-C.); inagamor{at}uci.edu (I.N.)
Abstract
“Germ granules” are cytoplasmic, nonmembrane-bound organelles unique to germline. Germ granules share components with the P bodies and stress granules of somatic cells, but also contain proteins and RNAs uniquely required for germ cell development. In this review, we focus on recent advances in our understanding of germ granule assembly, dynamics, and function. One hypothesis is that germ granules operate as hubs for the posttranscriptional control of gene expression, a function at the core of the germ cell differentiation program.
- Copyright © 2011 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved
