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Caenorhabditis elegans germ granules are present in distinct configurations that differentially associate with

Celja J Uebel^1,2, Sanjana Rajeev¹, Carolyn M Phillips¹

¹Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089.

Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology

|June 9, 2023

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C. elegans germline nuage compartments spatially organize with P granules forming a toroidal structure. This organization impacts RNA silencing by influencing RNA

Area of Science:

Molecular Biology
Cell Biology
Genetics

Background:

RNA silencing pathways are crucial for gene regulation and are highly conserved across species.
In C. elegans germlines, RNA surveillance involves perinuclear germ granule compartments (P granules, Z granules, SIMR foci, Mutator foci) that form via phase separation.
The spatial organization and biomolecule exchange between these germ granule compartments (nuage) are not well understood.

Approach:

Utilized super-resolution microscopy to investigate the spatial organization of C. elegans germ granule compartments.
Assessed the role of key proteins in maintaining compartment separation and boundary integrity.
Quantified stoichiometric relationships between germ granule compartments and RNA to identify discrete nuage populations.

Key Points:

Related Experiment Videos

Discovered a toroidal P granule morphology that consistently encircles other germ granule compartments.
Demonstrated that key proteins are sufficient for compartment separation, and boundaries can be reestablished after perturbation.
Observed that nuclear pores primarily interact with P granules, suggesting implications for nuclear RNA export and small RNA pathway entry.

Conclusions:

The study reveals a defined spatial organization within C. elegans germ granule nuage, with P granules at the exterior.
This organization has significant implications for understanding RNA trajectory from the nucleus into small RNA pathways.
Findings suggest functional differences between nuage configurations based on differential association with RNAi-targeted transcripts.