Roles of the C. elegans cyclophilin-like protein MOG-6 in MEP-1 binding and germline fates.
The switch from spermatogenesis to oogenesis in the Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodite requires mog-6, which post-transcriptionally represses the fem-3 RNA. In this study, we show that mog-6 codes for a divergent nuclear cyclophilin, in that a conserved domain is not required for its function in the sperm-oocyte switch. MOG-6 binds to the nuclear zinc finger protein MEP-1 through two separate domains that are essential for the role of MOG-6 in the sperm-oocyte switch. We propose that MOG-6 has a function distinct from that of prevailing cyclophilins and that its binding to MEP-1 is essential for germline sex determination. Finally, we found that gld-3 mog-6 mutants develop germline tumors, suggesting that mog-6 might function in the decision between mitosis and meiosis.
Belfiore
Marco
M
Department of Biology, Unit of Zoology, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland.
Pugnale
Paolo
P
Saudan
Zarifja
Z
Puoti
Alessandro
A
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D021983:Cyclophilins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000378:metabolism; D012734:Disorders of Sex Development / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology; D020365:RNA Helicases / Q000235:genetics*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D019849:Sex Determination Processes; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016335:Zinc Fingers
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C459463:MEP-1 protein, C elegans; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016572:Cyclosporine; D020365:RNA Helicases; D021983:Cyclophilins; C488361:cyn-4 protein, C elegans