RNA Helicase Vasa as a Multifunctional Conservative Regulator of Gametogenesis in Eukaryotes

Autor: Vladimir E. Adashev, Alexei A. Kotov, Ludmila V. Olenina
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Current Issues in Molecular Biology, Vol 45, Iss 7, Pp 5677-5705 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1467-3045
1467-3037
DOI: 10.3390/cimb45070358
Popis: Being a conservative marker of germ cells across metazoan species, DEAD box RNA helicase Vasa (DDX4) remains the subject of worldwide investigations thanks to its multiple functional manifestations. Vasa takes part in the preformation of primordial germ cells in a group of organisms and contributes to the maintenance of germline stem cells. Vasa is an essential player in the piRNA-mediated silencing of harmful genomic elements and in the translational regulation of selected mRNAs. Vasa is the top hierarchical protein of germ granules, liquid droplet organelles that compartmentalize RNA processing factors. Here, we survey current advances and problems in the understanding of the multifaceted functions of Vasa proteins in the gametogenesis of different eukaryotic organisms, from nematodes to humans.
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