Germ granules and the control of mRNA translation.

Germ granules are an evolutionarily conserved feature of germ cell cytoplasm and are critical for gametogenesis and embryonic development. Germ granules are highly enriched for RNA and RNA-binding proteins and are key centers for post-transcriptional gene regulation in germ cells. Over the last 20 years, the molecular events in germ granule function and formation in several organisms have begun to be revealed. This review seeks to give an overview of some conserved features of germ granules and highlights a conserved strategy for regulating translation of maternal mRNAs.