title: BIR-1, a Caenorhabditis elegans homologue of Survivin, regulates transcription and development.
abstract: bir-1, a Caenorhabditis elegans inhibitor-of-apoptosis gene homologous to Survivin is organized in an operon with the transcription cofactor C. elegans SKIP (skp-1). Because genes arranged in operons are frequently linked functionally, we have asked whether BIR-1 also functions in transcription. bir-1 inhibition resulted in multiple developmental defects that overlapped with C. elegans SKIP loss-of-function phenotypes: retention of eggs, dumpy, movement defects, and lethality. bir-1 RNA-mediated interference decreased expression of several gfp transgenes and the endogenous genes dpy-7 and hlh-1. Immunoblot analysis revealed decreased phosphoacetylated histones in bir-1 RNA-mediated interference-treated worms. In a heterologous transfection system, BIR-1 augments thyroid hormone-regulated transcription and has an additive effect with SKIP. These results show that BIR-1 functions in the regulation of transcription and development.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Institute of Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, CZ-128 01 Prague 2, Czech Republic. marta.kostrouchova@lf1.cuni.cz
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kostrouchova
authors.forename: Zdenek
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kostrouch
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Saudek
authors.forename: Joram
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Piatigorsky
authors.forename: Joseph Edward
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Rall
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D002460:Cell Line; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D034622:RNA Interference; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000502:physiology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D006657:Histones; D013963:Thyroid Hormones; C118999:bir-1 protein, C elegans