The Institute Colloquium: Making and protecting the germline
Date
Monday, February 11, 2013 16:30 - 17:30
Speaker
Ruth Lehmann (New York University)
Location
Raiffeisen Lecture Hall, Central Building
Series
Colloquium
Tags
Institute Colloquium
Contact
Germ cells are the stem cells of the next generation. They are not needed for any vital functions of an organism, yet, as sperm or egg, they are key to reproduction. Thus, due to their special needs, we envision that these cells are endowed with specialized mechanisms that control their behavior. We are particularly interested in how the germ cell program is established in the early embryo and have found that transcription is largely blocked in early germ cells while specific maternal products persist longer in germ cells than in the rest of the body. In order to produce gametes throughout adult life germ cells regulate the rate of self- renewal and differentiation. We are interested in the control mechanisms that prevent premature differentiation and that detect and eliminate aberrant gametes. We study how germ cells defend against endogenous threats such as transposable elements while keeping the opportunity for genetic change and evolution open.