The DM domain protein MAB-3 promotes sex-specific neurogenesis in C. elegans by regulating bHLH proteins.
Sexual dimorphism in the nervous system is required for sexual behavior and reproduction in many metazoan species. However, little is known of how sex determination pathways impose sex specificity on nervous system development. In C. elegans, the conserved sexual regulator MAB-3 controls several aspects of male development, including formation of V rays, male-specific sense organs required for mating. Here we show that MAB-3 promotes expression of the proneural protein LIN-32 in V ray precursors by transcriptional repression of ref-1, a member of the Hes family of neurogenic factors. Mutations in ref-1 restore lin-32::gfp expression and normal V ray development to mab-3 mutants, suggesting that ref-1 is the primary target of MAB-3 in the V ray lineage. Proteins related to MAB-3 (DM domain proteins) control sexual differentiation in diverse metazoans. We therefore suggest that regulation of Hes genes by DM domain proteins may be a general mechanism for specifying sex-specific neurons.
Ross
Jennifer M
JM
Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, Developmental Biology Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA.
Kalis
Andrea K
AK
Murphy
Mark W
MW
Zarkower
David
D
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping / Q000379:methods; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D024202:Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay / Q000379:methods; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008845:Microinjections / Q000379:methods; D008954:Models, Biological; D016296:Mutagenesis / Q000502:physiology; D009154:Mutation; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D010641:Phenotype; D012679:Sense Organs / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D019849:Sex Determination Processes; D012733:Sex Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D014157:Transcription Factors; C110548:Mab-3 protein, C elegans; C428453:ref-1 protein, C elegans; C075912:Lin-3 protein, C elegans