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1. Editorial: Germline Development: From Germline Stem Cells to Gametes

   https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2020.00650  

   Lee, Myon-Hee; Navarro, Rosa E.; Han, Sung Min (August 2020, Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology)
2. An improved germline genome assembly for the sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus illuminates the evolution of germline-specific chromosomes

   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112263  

   Timoshevskaya, Nataliya; Eşkut, Kaan İ.; Timoshevskiy, Vladimir A.; Robb, Sofia M.C.; Holt, Carson; Hess, Jon E.; Parker, Hugo J.; Baker, Cindy F.; Miller, Allison K.; Saraceno, Cody; et al (March 2023, Cell Reports)
3. C. elegans Germline as Three Distinct Tumor Models

   https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13060425  

   Jones, Mariah; Norman, Mina; Tiet, Alex Minh; Lee, Jiwoo; Lee, Myon Hee (June 2024, Biology)

   Tumor cells display abnormal growth and division, avoiding the natural process of cell death. These cells can be benign (non-cancerous growth) or malignant (cancerous growth). Over the past few decades, numerous in vitro or in vivo tumor models have been employed to understand the molecular mechanisms associated with tumorigenesis in diverse regards. However, our comprehension of how non-tumor cells transform into tumor cells at molecular and cellular levels remains incomplete. The nematode C. elegans has emerged as an excellent model organism for exploring various phenomena, including tumorigenesis. Although C. elegans does not naturally develop cancer, it serves as a valuable platform for identifying oncogenes and the underlying mechanisms within a live organism. In this review, we describe three distinct germline tumor models in C. elegans, highlighting their associated mechanisms and related regulators: (1) ectopic proliferation due to aberrant activation of GLP-1/Notch signaling, (2) meiotic entry failure resulting from the loss of GLD-1/STAR RNA-binding protein, (3) spermatogenic dedifferentiation caused by the loss of PUF-8/PUF RNA-binding protein. Each model requires the mutations of specific genes (glp-1, gld-1, and puf-8) and operates through distinct molecular mechanisms. Despite these differences in the origins of tumorigenesis, the internal regulatory networks within each tumor model display shared features. Given the conservation of many of the regulators implicated in C. elegans tumorigenesis, it is proposed that these unique models hold significant potential for enhancing our comprehension of the broader control mechanisms governing tumorigenesis. 

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4. Lineage-based scaling of germline intercellular bridges during oogenesis

   https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.202676  

   Shaikh, Umayr; Sherlock, Kathleen; Wilson, Julia; Gilliland, William; Lewellyn, Lindsay (August 2024, Development)

   ABSTRACT The size of subcellular structures must be tightly controlled to maintain normal cell function. Despite its importance, few studies have determined how the size of organelles or other structures is maintained during development, when cells are growing, dividing and rearranging. The developing Drosophila egg chamber is a powerful model in which to study the relative growth rates of subcellular structures. The egg chamber contains a cluster of 16 germline cells, which are connected through intercellular bridges called ring canals. As the egg chamber grows, the germline cells and the ring canals that connect them increase in size. Here, we demonstrate that ring canal size scaling is related to lineage; the largest, ‘first-born’ ring canals increase in size at a relatively slower rate than ring canals derived from subsequent mitotic divisions. This lineage-based scaling relationship is maintained even if directed transport is reduced, ring canal size is altered, or in egg chambers with twice as many germline cells. Analysis of lines that produce larger or smaller mature eggs reveals that different strategies could be used to alter final egg size. 

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5. Elements of divergence in germline determination in closely related species

   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2023.106402  

   Morita, Shumpei; Oulhen, Nathalie; Foster, Stephany; Wessel, Gary M (April 2023, iScience)