Regulation of organogenesis by the Caenorhabditis elegans FoxA protein PHA-4.
The pha-4 locus encodes a forkhead box A (FoxA/HNF3) transcription factor homolog that specifies organ identity for Caenorhabditis elegans pharyngeal cells. We used microarrays to identify pharyngeal genes and analyzed those genes to determine which were direct PHA-4 targets. Our data suggest that PHA-4 directly activates most or all pharyngeal genes. Furthermore, the relative affinity of PHA-4 for different TRTTKRY (R = A/G, K = T/G, Y = T/C) elements modulates the onset of gene expression, providing a mechanism to activate pharyngeal genes at different developmental stages. We suggest that direct transcriptional regulation of entire gene networks may be a common feature of organ identity genes.
Gaudet
J
J
Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, 2000 Circle of Hope, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
Mango
S E
SE
D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D005075:Biological Evolution; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D047108:Embryonic Development; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017238:Genes, Helminth; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D007438:Introns; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009154:Mutation; D009218:Myosins / Q000235:genetics; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010614:Pharynx / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C113277:Pha-4 protein, C elegans; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D009218:Myosins