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Published on: April 26, 2017
Role of PUF-8/PUF protein in stem cell control, sperm-oocyte decision and cell fate reprogramming
Udaya Sree Datla1, Natasha Carol Scovill, Austin J Brokamp
1Program in Biomedical Sciences, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina; Department of Oncology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina.
Abstract:
Pumilio and FBF (PUF) proteins are conserved stem cell regulators that maintain germline stem cells (GSCs) in worms and flies. Moreover, they are also present in vertebrate stem cells. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has multiple PUF proteins with specialized roles. Among them, PUF-8 protein controls multiple cellular processes, including proliferation, differentiation, sperm-oocyte decision, and cell fate reprogramming, depending on the genetic context in the C. elegans germline. In this review, we describe the possible mechanisms of how PUF-8 protein systematically controls multiple cellular processes in the C. elegans germline. Since PUF proteins are evolutionarily conserved, we suggest that a similar mechanism may be involved in controlling stem cell regulation and differentiation in other organisms, including humans.
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