title: A mutation at the start codon defines the differential requirement of dpy-11 in Caenorhabditis elegans body hypodermis and male tail.
abstract: dpy-11 encodes a thioredoxin-like molecule that is important for both body and male sensory ray morphogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans. A mutant allele, s287, has a point mutation with its start codon, AUG, converted into AUA, presumably leading to null function. Since only a weak loss-of-function phenotype was observed, we tested whether an alternative start codon or the converted AUA could be used for translation initiation with reduced efficiency. Based on a functional assay of mutant phenotype complementation and biochemical analysis examining the in vivo synthesis of wild-type and mutant proteins, we conclude that AUA can be used as a less-efficient start codon for initiating translation of DPY-11. Our results also provide direct evidence that the body hypodermis and male tail of C. elegans have differential requirements of dpy-11 activity for their respective normal morphogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Frankie C F
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: King L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Chow
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000378:metabolism*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D018387:Codon, Initiator; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D020405:Dermis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry; D010641:Phenotype; D017354:Point Mutation; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D018387:Codon, Initiator; D018076:DNA, Complementary; C450827:DPY-11 protein, C elegans; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals