Analysis of molecular mechanisms for germ cell formation in an ascidian, Ciona intestinalis

在本研究中，我发现Ci-Pem(Ci-pem-1)和Ci-TDRD7(Ci-pem-11)两个胞质后/PEM RNA基因的蛋白产物分别对黄瓜种系的形成起着至关重要的作用。Ci-PEM蛋白产物在卵裂期分布于胚系卵裂球的胞核和胞质中，是胚系中抑制体细胞基因表达所必需的。在生殖细胞中，CI-TDRD7蛋白与保守的生殖细胞标志物Vasa的同源物CiVH形成复合体，并参与原肠胚后原始生殖细胞(PGCs)核周CiVH颗粒的形成。

In this study, I found that the protein products of two postplasmic/PEM RNA genes Ci-PEM (Ci-pem-1) and Ci-TDRD7 (Ci-pem-11) have crucial roles in germline formation of Ciona intestinalis respectively. The protein product of Ci-PEM was distributed in the nucleus in the germline blastomeres as well as the postplasm in the cleavage stage and required for the repression of somatic gene expression in the germline. Ci-TDRD7 protein formed a complex with CiVH, a homolog of the conserved germ cell marker Vasa, in the germline cells, and it was involved in the formation of the peri-nuclear CiVH granules in the primordial germ cells (PGCs) after gastrulation.