Genes required for GLP-1 asymmetry in the early Caenorhabditis elegans embryo.
The translation of maternal glp-1 mRNA is regulated both temporally and spatially in the early Caenorhabditis elegans embryo (T. C. Evans, S. L. Crittenden, V. Kodoyianni, and J. Kimble, Cell 77, 183-194, 1994). To investigate the control of embryonic glp-1 expression, we have examined the distribution of GLP-1 protein in selected maternal effect mutants that affect pattern or fate in the early embryo. We find that mutants that disrupt anterior-posterior asymmetry in the early embryo (par-1-par-6, emb-8, Par(q537)) disrupt the spatial but not temporal control of GLP-1 expression: GLP-1 is observed at the normal stage of embryogenesis in par-like mutants; however, it is uniformly distributed. In contrast, mutants that alter blastomere identity (skn-1, pie-1, mex-1, apx-1) do not affect the normal GLP-1 pattern. We conclude that genes controlling the asymmetry of cellular components, including P granules, also control GLP-1 asymmetry in the early embryo. The finding that mutants that disrupt anterior-posterior asymmetry translate GLP-1 in all blastomeres suggests that loss of embryonic asymmetry causes translational activation of GLP-1 in the posterior.
Crittenden
S L
SL
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison 53706, USA.
Rudel
D
D
Binder
J
J
Evans
T C
TC
Kimble
J
J
D000818:Animals; D001757:Blastomeres / Q000378:metabolism; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D019070:Cell Lineage; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000378:metabolism; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D005246:Feedback; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017238:Genes, Helminth; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D009024:Morphogenesis; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D051880:Receptors, Notch
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C060620:Glp-1 protein, C elegans; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051880:Receptors, Notch