The fog-3 gene and regulation of cell fate in the germ line of Caenorhabditis elegans.
In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, germ cells normally adopt one of three fates: mitosis, spermatogenesis or oogenesis. We have identified and characterized the gene fog-3, which is required for germ cells to differentiate as sperm rather than as oocytes. Analysis of double mutants suggests that fog-3 is absolutely required for spermatogenesis and acts at the end of the regulatory hierarchy controlling sex determination for the germ line. By contrast, mutations in fog-3 do not alter the sexual identity of other tissues. We also have characterized the null phenotype of fog-1, another gene required for spermatogenesis; we demonstrate that it too controls the sexual identity of germ cells but not of other tissues. Finally, we have studied the interaction of these two fog genes with gld-1, a gene required for germ cells to undergo oogenesis rather than mitosis. On the basis of these results, we propose that germ-cell fate might be controlled by a set of inhibitory interactions among genes that specify one of three fates: mitosis, spermatogenesis or oogenesis. Such a regulatory network would link the adoption of one germ-cell fate to the suppression of the other two.
Ellis
R E
RE
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Kimble
J
J
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D005260:Female; D017238:Genes, Helminth / Q000502:physiology*; D005809:Genes, Regulator / Q000502:physiology*; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation / Q000502:physiology; D009866:Oogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D010641:Phenotype; D012733:Sex Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000235:genetics*