The Caenorhabditis elegans genes egl-27 and egr-1 are similar to MTA1, a member of a chromatin regulatory complex, and are redundantly required for embryonic patterning.
We show here that two functionally redundant Caenorhabditis elegans genes, egl-27 and egr-1, have a fundamental role in embryonic patterning. When both are inactivated, cells in essentially all regions of the embryo fail to be properly organised. Tissue determination and differentiation are unaffected and many zygotic patterning genes are expressed normally, including HOX genes. However, hlh-8, a target of the HOX gene mab-5, is not expressed. egl-27 and egr-1 are members of a gene family that includes MTA1, a human gene with elevated expression in metastatic carcinomas. MTA1 is a component of a protein complex with histone deacetylase and nucleosome remodelling activities. We propose that EGL-27 and EGR-1 function as part of a chromatin regulatory complex required for the function of regional patterning genes.
Solari
F
F
University of Cambridge, Department of Genetics, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK.
Bateman
A
A
Ahringer
J
J
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000235:genetics; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D017238:Genes, Helminth; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006655:Histone Deacetylases / Q000235:genetics; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D008845:Microinjections; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002843:Chromatin; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C118081:EGL-27 protein, C elegans; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D006657:Histones; C089320:MTA1 protein, human; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D006655:Histone Deacetylases