The Caenorhabditis elegans sex determining gene fem-3 is regulated post-transcriptionally.
The fem-3 gene of Caenorhabditis elegans is required for male development. Both maternal and zygotic fem-3 activities are required for spermatogenesis in the XX hermaphrodite germline and for male development in somatic and germline tissues XO (male) animals. Here we show that fem-3 RNA is contributed to embryos as a maternal product and that this RNA is degraded early in embryonic development. The poly(A) tail of embryonic fem-3 RNA is substantially longer than that of adult hermaphrodites which indicates that poly(A) tail lengthening probably occurs at or soon after fertilization. During subsequent development, fem-3 poly(A) tails shorten. The amount of fem-3 RNA in XX and XO embryos is equivalent, suggesting sex-specific regulation of maternal fem-3 activity occurs post-transcriptionally. The sequence of fem-3 predicts an open reading frame that could encode a soluble protein; putative fem-3 null mutants truncate this open reading frame. We discuss the implications of these results for the regulation and function of fem-3.
Ahringer
J
J
Department of Biochemistry, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Graduate School, University of Wisconsin-Madison 53706.
Rosenquist
T A
TA
Lawson
D N
DN
Kimble
J
J
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002107:Caenorhabditis / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000502:physiology; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010063:Ovum / Q000502:physiology; D011061:Poly A / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012323:RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012732:Sex Determination Analysis; D013091:Spermatogenesis
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C075059:fem-3 protein, C elegans; D011061:Poly A; D012313:RNA