A Caenorhabditis elegans wee1 homolog is expressed in a temporally and spatially restricted pattern during embryonic development.
A wee1 homolog, wee-1.1, is expressed in both a temporally and spatially restricted pattern during early Caenorhabditis elegans embryogenesis, and is undetectable throughout the remainder of embryogenesis. The wee-1.1 message appears to be zygotically expressed in the somatic founder cell E of the 12-cell embryo. This expression disappears when the E blastomere divides for the first time. The wee-1.1 message then appears transiently in the nuclei of the eight great-granddaughter cells of the AB somatic founder cell, just before these cells divide in the 16-cell embryo. Following this division, the wee-1.1 mRNA is no longer detectable throughout the remainder of embryogenesis. The expression of wee-1.1 in the E blastomere and in the AB progeny appears to be restricted to nuclei in prophase and metaphase of the cell cycle. Analysis of the wee-1.1 mRNA expression pattern in maternal-effect lethal mutants suggests that this expression pattern is restricted to cells of the E and AB fates in the early embryo. This mRNA expression pattern is restricted to a 10-15-min span of embryonic development and may be regulating the timing of crucial cell divisions at this early stage of development.
Wilson
M A
MA
Gene Regulation and Chromosome Biology Laboratory, ABL-Basic Research Program, National Cancer Institute - Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, P.O. Box B, Building 539, Frederick, MD 21702-1201, USA.
Hoch
R V
RV
Ashcroft
N R
NR
Kosinski
M E
ME
Golden
A
A
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D017238:Genes, Helminth; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016415:Sequence Alignment
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases