Searle Scholar Profile : Geraldine C. Seydoux (1997)

Cell Determination in C. elegans

We are interested in understanding how cells acquire different fates during development. In particular, we are focusing on the mechanisms that distinguish between soma and germline in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. In C. elegans, distinct somatic and germ lineages are made during the first embryonic cleavages, allowing this process to be analyzed in a simple embryo containing just a few cells. By developing an in situ hybridization protocol suitable for C. elegans, we have identified several differences in RNA content between somatic and germline cells in early embryos. These asymmetries suggest the existence of two mechanisms that specify germline fate: 1) repression of gene expression in embryonic germ cells, and 2) inheritance of the germline-specific P granules and associated mRNAs. We are currently using a combination of genetic and molecular approaches to characterize the molecules involved in these two mechanisms.


	Geraldine C. Seydoux Professor Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine 725 N. Wolfe Street Baltimore, MD 21205-2185 Voice: 410/614-4622 Fax: 410/502-6718 E-mail: gseydoux@jhmi.edu Personal Homepage 1997 Searle Scholar