Role of nuage in germline cell fate

To ensure continuance, animal species must make totipotent embryos for the next generation. In sexually reproducing animals, this is achieved by the germline. Germline cells contain a specialized non-membrane-bound compartment, containing proteins and RNAs, called Nuage. Mutations in nuage proteins are associated with loss of germ cell fate and infertility. However, the molecular mechanisms of nuage function remain unclear. A major bottleneck towards addressing this question has been the inability to isolate nuage from in vivo sources. Dilutions that accompany purification strategies led to dissolution of liquid-like nuage. We have shown that nuage-like phases can be reconstituted in vitro from purified components, thereby providing a way around the long-standing bottleneck in addressing the molecular mechanisms of nuage function. We will investigate the biochemical environment within the nuage phase and its interactions with the surroundings in C. elegans using a combination of live cell microscopy, in vitro reconstitution, biochemistry, and structural biology approaches. In the long-term, our study on the foundations of a germ cell-specific phenomenon may lay the groundwork for understanding problems with fertility and elucidate ways to address them.

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