Investigating the Interplay between Germ Granules and sRNA Pathways in C. elegans

Germ granules are phase-separated, membrane-less organelles present only in the germlines of animals. The C. elegans germline contains four distinct germ granules (P granules, Z granule, Mutator foci, and SIMR foci) that contain numerous sRNA pathway components and have been implicated in the proper functions of many sRNA pathways, which consist of AGOs and sRNAs (miRNAs, piRNA, and endo-siRNAs). In this thesis I will address the relationship between germ granules and sRNA pathways in C. elegans by examining the overlap of five of the eight AGOs that localize to germ granules in the young adult stage with P and Z granules, and how AGO localization and germ granules change in ago mutants. Finally, I will also briefly discuss the establishment of a system to identify new germ granules proteins through BioID.M.Sc