title: A deubiquitinating enzyme, UCH/CeUBP130, has an essential role in the formation of a functional microtubule-organizing centre (MTOC) during early cleavage in C. elegans.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Deubiquitinating enzymes generate monomeric ubiquitin in protein degradation pathways and are known to be important for the early development in many organisms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RNA interference experiments targeted for a UBP homologue, UCH/CeUBP130, in C. elegans resulted in cell division defective embryos. Immunostaining localized UCH/CeUBP130 in the sperm and at the microtubule-organizing centre (MTOC) during early cleavage. Furthermore, the embryonic lethal phenotype was rescued by mating with wild-type males.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since it is known that the MTOC in the fertilized embryo is contributed by sperm asters in C. elegans, we suggest that UCH/CeUBP130 and ubiquitin protein degradation pathways may be involved in microtubule-based sperm aster formation. Therefore UCH/CeUBP130 is necessary for the formation of a functional MTOC in the fertilized embryo of C. elegans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, Kwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Kwangju 500-712, Korea.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jee
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Koo
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ahnn
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001483:Base Sequence; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D008297:Male; D008870:Microtubules / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D010450:Endopeptidases; C447940:UBP130 protein, C elegans