title: sel-7, a positive regulator of lin-12 activity, encodes a novel nuclear protein in Caenorhabditis elegans.
abstract: Suppressor genetics in C. elegans has identified key components of the LIN-12/Notch signaling pathway. Here, we describe a genetic and molecular characterization of the suppressor gene sel-7. We show that reducing or eliminating sel-7 activity suppresses the effects of constitutive lin-12 activity, enhances the effects of partially reduced lin-12 activity, and causes a synthetic Lin-12(0) phenotype when combined with a null mutation in the sel-12 presenilin gene. These observations suggest that sel-7 is a positive regulator of lin-12 activity. We also show that SEL-7 encodes a novel nuclear protein. Through yeast two-hybrid screening, we identified an apparent interaction partner, K08E3.8, that also interacts with SEL-8, a known component of the nuclear complex that forms upon LIN-12 activation. Our data suggest potential roles for SEL-7 in the assembly or function of this nuclear complex.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Molecular and Biophysical Studies, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Jiabin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiajun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Iva
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Greenwald
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000235:genetics; D017238:Genes, Helminth; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013489:Suppression, Genetic; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D020798:Two-Hybrid System Techniques
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018509:DNA, Helminth; C082460:Lin-12 protein, C elegans; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D051880:Receptors, Notch; C543329:Sel-7 protein, C elegans; D014157:Transcription Factors