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.
Publication types
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Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Review
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Caenorhabditis elegans / cytology
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Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics
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Caenorhabditis elegans / ultrastructure
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Cell Differentiation
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Chromatin / metabolism
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Cytoplasmic Granules / genetics
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Cytoplasmic Granules / physiology*
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Cytoplasmic Granules / ultrastructure
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Drosophila / cytology
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Drosophila / genetics
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Drosophila / ultrastructure
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Germ Cells / ultrastructure*
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Mitosis
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Protein Structure, Tertiary
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RNA / metabolism
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RNA / physiology*
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RNA Stability