title: Control of neuronal subtype identity by the C. elegans ARID protein CFI-1.
abstract: The Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodite nervous system is composed of 302 neurons that fall into at least 118 diverse classes. Here we describe cfi-1, a gene that contributes to the development of neuronal diversity. cfi-1 promotes appropriate differentiation of the URA sensory neurons and inhibits URA from expressing the male-specific CEM neuronal fate. The UNC-86 POU homeodomain protein is present in CEM and URA neurons, and can promote expression of CEM-specific genes in both CEM and URA, but CFI-1 inhibits expression of these genes in the URA cells. cfi-1 also promotes appropriate differentiation and glutamate receptor expression in the AVD and PVC interneurons. cfi-1 encodes a conserved neuron- and muscle-restricted DNA-binding protein containing an A/T rich interaction domain (ARID). ARID proteins regulate early patterning and muscle fate in Drosophila, but they have not previously been implicated in the control of neuronal subtype identity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA. shaham@mail.rockefeller.edu
authors.forename: Shai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shaham
authors.forename: Cornelia I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Bargmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009132:Muscles / Q000378:metabolism; D009420:Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D050809:POU Domain Factors; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000502:physiology; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C454063:CFI-1 protein, C elegans; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D050809:POU Domain Factors; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; D014157:Transcription Factors; C081539:unc-86 protein, C elegans