Regulation of cell fate in Caenorhabditis elegans by a novel cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding protein.
The fog-1 gene of Caenorhabditis elegans specifies that germ cells differentiate as sperm rather than as oocytes. We cloned fog-1 through a combination of transformation rescue experiments, RNA-mediated inactivation, and mutant analyses. Our results show that fog-1 produces two transcripts, both of which are found in germ cells but not in the soma. Furthermore, two deletion mutants alter these transcripts and are likely to eliminate fog-1 activity. The larger transcript is expressed under the control of sex-determination genes, is necessary for fog-1 activity, and is sufficient to rescue a fog-1 mutant. This transcript encodes a novel member of the CPEB family of RNA-binding proteins. Because CPEB proteins in Xenopus and Drosophila regulate gene expression at the level of translation, we propose that FOG-1 controls germ cell fates by regulating the translation of specific messenger RNAs.
Jin
S W
SW
Department of Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109
Kimble
J
J
Ellis
R E
RE
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000502:physiology*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D017931:DNA Primers; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016296:Mutagenesis; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012733:Sex Differentiation; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology*; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000235:genetics; D016335:Zinc Fingers
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C107310:Zfpm1 protein, mouse; C498431:fog-1 protein, C elegans