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.
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.
Lee
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J
Department of Life Science, Kwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Kwangju 500-712, Korea.
Jee
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Koo
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Chung
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Ahnn
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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
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D010450:Endopeptidases; C447940:UBP130 protein, C elegans