Professor of MCD Biology
B.A., University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
Ph.D., University of Washington, Seattle
Postdoctorate, University of Colorado, Boulder

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Regulation of Germ Cell Development in C. elegans
Germ cells (the cells that give rise to eggs and sperm) have special properties. Their immortality allows them to be perpetuated from generation to generation, and their totipotency allows them to generate all of the diverse cell types of the body in each generation. Our lab investigates the molecular mechanisms used by germ cells to establish and maintain their identity, immortality, and totipotency. We study germ cells in the model organism C. elegans using a wide variety of approaches, including forward genetics, RNAi, imaging, molecular biology, biochemistry, and whole genome microarray-based technologies. Our current focus areas are control of gene expression in germ cells by regulation of chromatin, and control of RNA metabolism by germline-specific cytoplasmic "P granules".

Chromatin regulation: The MES proteins are histone methylating enzymes that are essential for germ cell identity and immortality. MES-4 and its H3Lys36 methyl marks are dramatically concentrated on the autosomes, while MES-2/3/6-catalyzed H3Lys27 methyl marks are preferentially on the X chromosomes. We are investigating how the MES proteins achieve their distinct distributions, how they participate in the germ versus soma decision made by cells early in development, and how they cooperate to silence the X chromosomes in germ cells.

P granule regulation: P granules contain numerous RNAs and RNA-binding proteins. They surround nuclei and generally overlie nuclear pores. We are investigating their assembly pathway and testing the hypothesis that P granules extend the nuclear pore environment and regulate nuclear transport.

Please follow this link to find the lab's publications in the National Library of Medicine's PubMed database.


In the left panel, MES-4 (green) associates with the ten autosomes but not the two X chromosomes (arrows); DNA is red.











In the right panel, P granules (green) are being segregated to the germline daughter of this soon to be two-cell embryo; DNA is red.