pop-1 encodes an HMG box protein required for the specification of a mesoderm precursor in early C. elegans embryos.
In C. elegans embryogenesis, the MS blastomere produces predominantly mesodermal cell types, while its sister E generates only endodermal tissue. We show that a maternal gene, pop-1, is essential for the specification of MS fate and that a mutation in pop-1 results in MS adopting an E fate. Previous studies have shown that the maternal gene skn-1 is required for both MS and E development and that skn-1 encodes a transcription factor. We show here that the pop-1 gene encodes a protein with an HMG box similar to the HMG boxes in the vertebrate lymphoid-specific transcriptional regulators TCF-1 and LEF-1. We propose that POP-1 and SKN-1 function together in the early embryo to allow MS-specific differentiation.
Lin
R
R
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA.
Thompson
S
S
Priess
J R
JR
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001757:Blastomeres / Q000502:physiology; D002107:Caenorhabditis / Q000196:embryology*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000502:physiology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics; D017238:Genes, Helminth / Q000235:genetics; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D006609:High Mobility Group Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D010614:Pharynx / Q000196:embryology
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006609:High Mobility Group Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C096787:pop-1 protein, C elegans