Interplay of RNA-binding proteins controls germ cell development in zebrafish
Abstract
The specification of germ cells in zebrafish mostly relies on an inherited mechanism by which localized maternal determinants, called germ plasm, confer germline fate in the early embryo. Extensive studies have partially allowed the identification of key regulators governing germ plasm formation and subsequent germ cell development. RNA-binding proteins, acting in concert with other germ plasm components, play essential roles in the organization of the germ plasm and the specification, migration, maintenance, and differentiation of primordial germ cells. The loss of their functions impairs germ cell formation and causes sterility or sexual conversion. Evidence is emerging that they instruct germline development through differential regulation of mRNA fates in somatic and germ cells. However, the challenge remains to decipher the complex interplay of maternal germ plasm components in germ plasm compartmentalization and germ cell specification. Since failure to control the developmental outcome of germ cells disrupts the formation of gametes, it is important to gain a complete picture of regulatory mechanisms operating in the germ cell lineage. This review sheds light on the contributions of RNA-binding proteins to germ cell development in zebrafish and highlights intriguing questions that remain open for future investigation.
Keywords
Germ plasm Primordial germ cell Germline stem cell Gametogenesis Zebrafish RNA-binding protein Posttranscriptional gene expression Translational activation and repression
Germ plasm
Primordial germ cell
Germline stem cell
Gametogenesis
Zebrafish
RNA-binding protein
Posttranscriptional gene expression
Translational activation and repression
Domains
Life Sciences [q-bio]| Origin | Files produced by the author(s) |
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