The Caenorhabditis elegans gene sem-4 controls neuronal and mesodermal cell development and encodes a zinc finger protein.
Neuronal and mesodermal cell types are generated in separate cell lineages during the larval development of Caenorhabditis elegans. Here we demonstrate that the gene sem-4 is required in both types of lineages for the normal development of neuronal and mesodermal cell types. The sem-4 gene encodes a protein containing seven zinc finger motifs of the C2H2 class, four of which are arranged in two pairs widely separated in the primary sequence of the protein. These pairs of zinc fingers are similar to pairs of zinc fingers in the protein encoded by the Drosophila homeotic gene spalt and in the human transcription factor PRDII-BF1. Analysis of sem-4 alleles suggests that different zinc fingers in the SEM-4 protein may function differentially in neuronal and mesodermal cell types. We propose that sem-4 interacts with different transcription factors in different cell types to control the transcription of genes that function in the processes of neuronal and mesodermal cell development.
Basson
M
M
Howard Hughes, Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139, USA.
Horvitz
H R
HR
D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D006801:Humans; D007301:Insect Hormones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D009154:Mutation; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000235:genetics*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C063232:HIVEP1 protein, human; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D007301:Insect Hormones; D014157:Transcription Factors; C085793:salm protein, Drosophila; C100983:sem-4 protein, C elegans; D012701:Serotonin; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid