Inhibition of touch cell fate by egl-44 and egl-46 in C. elegans.
In wild-type Caenorhabditis elegans, six cells develop as receptors for gentle touch. In egl-44 and egl-46 mutants, two other neurons, the FLP cells, express touch receptor-like features. egl-44 and egl-46 also affect the differentiation of other neurons including the HSN neurons, two cells needed for egg laying. egl-44 encodes a member of the transcription enhancer factor family. The product of the egl-46 gene, two Drosophila proteins, and two proteins in human and mice define a new family of zinc finger proteins. Both egl-44 and egl-46 are expressed in FLP and HSN neurons (and other cells); expression of egl-46 is dependent on egl-44 in the FLP cells but not in the HSN cells. Wild-type touch cells express egl-46 but not egl-44. Moreover, ectopic expression of egl-44 in the touch cells prevents touch cell differentiation in an egl-46-dependent manner. The sequences of these genes and their nuclear location as seen with GFP fusions indicate that they repress transcription of touch cell characteristics in the FLP cells.
Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA.
J
J
Wu
A
A
Duggan
M
M
Chalfie
D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics*; D019070:Cell Lineage; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D004330:Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D015723:Gene Library; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D006801:Humans; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014110:Touch / Q000235:genetics*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C104613:egl protein, Drosophila; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins