title: Germline and developmental roles of the nuclear transport factor importin alpha3 in C. elegans.
abstract: The importin alpha family of transport factors mediates the nuclear import of classical nuclear localization signal-containing proteins. In order to understand how multiple importin alpha proteins are regulated both in individual cells and in a whole organism, the three importin alpha (ima) genes of Caenorhabditis elegans have been identified and studied. All three IMAs are expressed in the germline; however, only IMA-3 is expressed in the soma. RNA interference (RNAi) experiments demonstrate that IMA-3 is required for the progression of meiotic prophase I during oocyte development. Loss of IMA-3 expression leads also to a disruption of the nuclear pore complex accompanied by the mis-localization of P granules. A range of defects occurring in ima-3(RNAi) F1 progeny further supports a role for IMA-3 during embryonic and larval development. The functional association of IMA-3 with distinct cellular events, its expression pattern and intracellular localization indicate that regulation of the nuclear transport machinery is involved in the control of developmental pathways.
authors: Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. s-adam@northwestern.edu
authors: K G
authors: KG
authors: Geles
authors: S A
authors: SA
authors: Adam
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology*; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D028884:Karyopherins; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000254:growth & development; D009866:Oogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D010641:Phenotype; D018510:RNA, Helminth / Q000235:genetics; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D018509:DNA, Helminth; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D028884:Karyopherins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D018510:RNA, Helminth