Multiple potential germ-line helicases are components of the germ-line-specific P granules of Caenorhabditis elegans.
Two components of the germ-line-specific P granules of the nematode Caenorhabditis elgans have been identified using polyclonal antibodies specific for each. Both components are putative germ-line RNA helicases (GLHs) that contain CCHC zinc fingers of the type found in the RNA-binding nucleocapsid proteins of retroviruses. The predicted GLH-1 protein has four CCHC fingers; GLH-2 has six. Both GLH proteins localize in the P granules at all stage of germ-line development. However, the two glh genes display different patterns of RNA and protein accumulation in the germ lines of hermaphrodites and males. Injection of antisense glh-1 or glh-2 RNA into wild-type worms causes some offspring to develop into sterile adults, suggesting that either or both genes are required for normal germ-line development. As these very similar glh genes physically map within several hundred kilobases of one another, it seems likely that they represent a fairly recent gene duplication event.
Gruidl
M E
ME
Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Missouri, Columbia 65212, USA.
Smith
P A
PA
Kuznicki
K A
KA
McCrone
J S
JS
Kirchner
J
J
Roussell
D L
DL
Strome
S
S
Bennett
K L
KL
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000201:enzymology*; D017931:DNA Primers; D012734:Disorders of Sex Development; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020365:RNA Helicases; D012316:RNA Nucleotidyltransferases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D012190:Retroviridae; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology; D016335:Zinc Fingers
D017931:DNA Primers; D012316:RNA Nucleotidyltransferases; D020365:RNA Helicases