Control of the proliferation versus meiotic development decision in the C. elegans germline through regulation of GLD-1 protein accumulation.
Maintenance of the stem cell population in the C. elegans germline requires GLP-1/Notch signaling. We show that this signaling inhibits the accumulation of the RNA binding protein GLD-1. In a genetic screen to identify other genes involved in regulating GLD-1 activity, we identified mutations in the nos-3 gene, the protein product of which is similar to the Drosophila translational regulator Nanos. Our data demonstrate that nos-3 promotes GLD-1 accumulation redundantly with gld-2, and that nos-3 functions genetically downstream or parallel to fbf, an inhibitor of GLD-1 translation. We show that the GLD-1 accumulation pattern is important in controlling the proliferation versus meiotic development decision, with low GLD-1 levels allowing proliferation and increased levels promoting meiotic entry.
Hansen
Dave
D
Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA.
Wilson-Berry
Laura
L
Dang
Thanh
T
Schedl
Tim
T
D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002455:Cell Division; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008540:Meiosis; D016296:Mutagenesis; D009154:Mutation; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000235:genetics; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D018510:RNA, Helminth / Q000235:genetics; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C094448:GLD-1 protein, C elegans; D018510:RNA, Helminth; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III