skn-1, a maternally expressed gene required to specify the fate of ventral blastomeres in the early C. elegans embryo.
By the 4-cell stage of C. elegans embryogenesis, a ventral blastomere, called EMS, is already committed to producing pharyngeal and intestinal cell types. Recessive, maternal-effect mutations in the gene skn-1 prevent EMS from producing both pharyngeal and intestinal cells. In skn-1 mutant embryos, EMS instead produces hypodermal cells and body wall muscle cells, much like its sister blastomere. Genetic analysis suggests that the skn-1 gene product is also required post-embryonically for development of the intestine. We have cloned and sequenced the skn-1 gene and describe sequence similarities to the basic regions of bZIP transcription factors. We propose that the maternally expressed skn-1 gene product acts to specify the fate of the EMS blastomere.
Bowerman
B
B
Department of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98104.
Eaton
B A
BA
Priess
J R
JR
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001757:Blastomeres / Q000166:cytology*; D002107:Caenorhabditis / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D007422:Intestines / Q000196:embryology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010614:Pharynx / Q000196:embryology; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C073702:skn-1 protein, C elegans