A BMP homolog acts as a dose-dependent regulator of body size and male tail patterning in Caenorhabditis elegans.
We cloned the dbl-1 gene, a C. elegans homolog of Drosophila decapentaplegic and vertebrate BMP genes. Loss-of-function mutations in dbl-1 cause markedly reduced body size and defective male copulatory structures. Conversely, dbl-1 overexpression causes markedly increased body size and partly complementary male tail phenotypes, indicating that DBL-1 acts as a dose-dependent regulator of these processes. Evidence from genetic interactions indicates that these effects are mediated by a Smad signaling pathway, for which DBL-1 is a previously unidentified ligand. Our study of the dbl-1 expression pattern suggests a role for neuronal cells in global size regulation as well as male tail patterning.
Suzuki
Y
Y
Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0347, USA. wood@stripe. colorado.edu
Yandell
M D
MD
Roy
P J
PJ
Krishna
S
S
Savage-Dunn
C
C
Ross
R M
RM
Padgett
R W
RW
Wood
W B
WB
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001824:Body Constitution / Q000235:genetics*; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000235:genetics*; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000196:embryology*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D012734:Disorders of Sex Development / Q000235:genetics; D004843:Epistasis, Genetic; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics*; D017930:Genes, Reporter / Q000235:genetics; D005835:Genitalia / Q000254:growth & development; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D010802:Phylogeny; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013623:Tail / Q000254:growth & development*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta
D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C117509:Dbl-1 protein, C elegans; D009479:Neuropeptides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta