Components of the SWI/SNF complex are required for asymmetric cell division in C. elegans.
Asymmetric cell division is a fundamental process that produces cellular diversity during development. We have identified two mutants in C. elegans (psa-1 and psa-4) in which the asymmetry of T cell division is disrupted. psa-1 and psa-4 encode homologs of yeast SWI3 and SWI2/SNF2, respectively, which are components of the SWI/SNF complex. We show by RNA interference assay that homologs of other components of SWI/SNF are also involved in T cell division. psa-1 and psa-4 are likely to be required in the T cell during mitosis to cause asymmetric cell division. Because the SWI/SNF complex is required for asymmetric division in S. cerevisiae, these results demonstrate that at least some aspects of the mechanism of asymmetric cell division are conserved between yeast and a multicellular organism.
Sawa
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PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Corporation, Division of Neuroanatomy Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita. sawa@nana.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
Kouike
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Okano
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D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008938:Mitosis / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation / Q000502:physiology; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; C072981:SWI3 protein, S cerevisiae; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; C499333:SNF2 protein, S cerevisiae