Jennifer Schisa, Ph.D. |
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The overall goal of our
laboratory is to better understand germ cells, the cells that give rise to
the egg and sperm. Germ cells are of clear importance for the maintenance of
species and differ from differentiated somatic cells in several fundamental
ways. Despite their significance as a cell lineage, precisely how they
acquire and maintain totipotency remains unknown. Germ granules are a
conserved component of germ cells seen in both vertebrates and invertebrates.
While germ granules have been studied in many model systems, and germ granule
components have been shown to be required for fertility, we still do not know
their biochemical function. We are studying germ granules in the nematode
model system, C. elegans, where they are called P granules. P granules
contain several putative RNA-binding proteins that are required for
fertility, as well as a diverse set of RNAs. We are currently conducting
experiments to test the hypothesis that the association of maternal mRNA with
P granules regulates their translation and/or stability. We have also been
exploring the similarities and differences between Processing bodies and Stress
granules with large cytoplasmic foci of P granules that form in oocytes of animals
with arrested ovulation. |