A global profile of germline gene expression in C-elegans

We used DNA microarrays to profile gene expression patterns in the C. elega ns germline and identified 1416 germline-enriched transcripts that define t hree groups. The sperm-enriched group contains an unusually large number of protein kinases and phosphatases. The oocyte-enriched group includes poten tially new components of embryonic signaling pathways. The germline-intrins ic group, defined as genes expressed similarly in germlines making only spe rm or only oocytes, contains a family of piwi-related genes that may be imp ortant for stem cell proliferation. Finally, examination of the chromosomal location of germline transcripts revealed that sperm-enriched and germline -intrinsic genes are nearly absent from the X chromosome, but oocyte-enrich ed genes are not.