Launching the germline in Caenorhabditis elegans: regulation of gene expression in early germ cells

One hundred years after Weismann's seminal observations, the mechanisms that distinguish the germline from the soma still remain poorly understood. This review describes recent studies in Caenorhabditis elegans, which suggest that germ cells utilize unique mechanisms to regulate gene expression. In particular, mechanisms that repress the production of mRNAs appear to be essential to maintain germ cell fate and viability.