The C. elegans RUNX transcription factor RNT-1/MAB-2 is required for asymmetrical cell division of the T blast cell.
The RUNX genes encode conserved transcription factors, which play vital roles in the development of various animals and human diseases. Drosophila runt is a secondary pair-rule gene, which regulates embryo segmentation. Human RUNX1, previously known as AML1, is essential for hematopoiesis. C. elegans rnt-1 is co-orthologous to the human RUNX genes. We found that RNT-1Colon, two colonsGFP is expressed in the H0-2, V1-6, and T blast cells in the embryo, and predominantly in the seam cells during larval to adult stages. rnt-1 mutants exhibit a loss of polarity in the asymmetrical T cell division in hermaphrodites and abnormal ray morphology in the male tail. Genetic and molecular analysis revealed that rnt-1 is allelic to mab-2. Mutant analysis suggested that rnt-1/mab-2 is involved in regulating T blast cell polarity in cooperation with the Wnt signaling pathway. Expression studies of GFPColon, two colonsPOP-1 and TLP-1Colon, two colonsGFP reporters in rnt-1/mab-2 mutants indicated that this gene functions upstream of tlp-1 and downstream, or in parallel to, pop-1 in the genetic cascade that controls asymmetry of the T cell division. All our data suggest that RNT-1/MAB-2 functions with POP-1 to control the asymmetry of the T cell division.
Kagoshima
Hiroshi
H
Genome Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Yata 1111, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan. hkagoshi@lab.nig.ac.jp
Sawa
Hitoshi
H
Mitani
Shohei
S
Bürglin
Thomas R
TR
Shigesada
Katsuya
K
Kohara
Yuji
Y
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D019070:Cell Lineage; D016764:Cell Polarity / Q000502:physiology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012734:Disorders of Sex Development; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006609:High Mobility Group Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007814:Larva; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D013623:Tail / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006609:High Mobility Group Proteins; C493287:RNT-1 protein, C elegans; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C451879:TLP-1 protein, Caenorhabditis elegans; D014157:Transcription Factors; C096787:pop-1 protein, C elegans