Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
Nat Commun. 2023 Sep 25;14(1):5965. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-41556-4.
Germ granules are membrane-less organelles essential for small RNA biogenesis and germline development. Among the conserved properties of germ granules is their association with the nuclear membrane. Recent studies demonstrated that LOTUS domain proteins, EGGD-1 and EGGD-2 (also known as MIP-1 and MIP-2 respectively), promote the formation of perinuclear germ granules in C. elegans. This finding presents a unique opportunity to evaluate the significance of perinuclear localization of germ granules. Here we show that loss of eggd-1 causes the coalescence of germ granules and formation of abnormal cytoplasmic aggregates. Impairment of perinuclear granules affects certain germline classes of small RNAs including Piwi-interacting RNAs. Transcriptome profiling reveals overexpression of spermatogenic and cuticle-related genes in eggd-1 hermaphrodites. We further demonstrate that disruption of germ granules activates HLH-30-mediated transcriptional program in somatic tissues. Collectively, our findings underscore the essential role of EGGD-1 in germ granule organization and reveal an unexpected germ granule-to-soma communication.
生殖质是一种无膜细胞器,对于小 RNA 的生物发生和生殖细胞的发育至关重要。生殖质的保守特性之一是与核膜的关联。最近的研究表明,LOTUS 结构域蛋白 EGGD-1 和 EGGD-2(也分别称为 MIP-1 和 MIP-2)促进了线虫中核周生殖质的形成。这一发现为评估生殖质核周定位的意义提供了一个独特的机会。在这里,我们发现 eggd-1 的缺失导致生殖质的合并和异常细胞质聚集体的形成。核周颗粒的损伤会影响包括 Piwi 相互作用 RNA 在内的某些生殖细胞类别的小 RNA。转录组谱分析显示,在 eggd-1 雌雄同体中,精细胞发生和角质层相关基因的表达过度。我们进一步证明,生殖质的破坏会激活 HLH-30 介导的体组织中的转录程序。总之,我们的研究结果强调了 EGGD-1 在生殖质组织中的重要作用,并揭示了一种意想不到的生殖质与体组织之间的通讯。
Nat Commun. 2023-9-25
Trends Cell Biol. 2021-5
Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2025-3-13
Nucleic Acids Res. 2025-2-8
Curr Environ Health Rep. 2025-1-20
Bio Protoc. 2022-4-20
Nat Cell Biol. 2022-7