Functional Analysis of Programmed Genome Rearrangement

Lamprey is a vertebrate that undergoes developmentally programmed genome rearrangements, which result in the reproducible elimination of ~20% of the genome from nearly all somatic cell lineages (this material is retained only in the germline). Our proposed studies will allow us to unravel the mechanisms by which lamprey physically reengineers its genome, and resolve the function of genes that are eliminated from somatic cell lineages. If funded, these studies will contribute to our fundamental understanding of cellular mechanisms that contribute to stability and change in vertebrate genome structure as well as gene regulatory changes that mediate the development of germ cells, epigenetic maintenance of pluripotency and oncogenesis. 1