C. elegans HLH-2/E/Daughterless controls key regulatory cells during gonadogenesis.
The Caenorhabditis elegans distal tip cell (DTC) provides a niche for germline stem cells in both hermaphrodites and males. The hermaphrodite distal tip cell (hDTC) also provides "leader" function to control gonadal elongation and shape, while in males, leader function is allocated to the linker cell (LC). Therefore, the male distal tip cell (mDTC) serves as a niche but not as a leader. The C. elegans homolog of E/Daughterless, HLH-2, was previously implicated in hDTC specification. Here we report that HLH-2 is also critical for hDTC maintenance, hDTC niche function and hDTC expression of a lag-2/DSL ligand reporter. We also find that HLH-2 functions in males to direct linker cell specification and to promote both mDTC maintenance and the mDTC niche function. We conclude that HLH-2 functions in both sexes to promote leader cell specification and DTC niche function.
Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706-1544, USA.
Michael A
MA
Chesney
Ngan
N
Lam
Dyan E
DE
Morgan
Bryan T
BT
Phillips
Judith
J
Kimble
D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012734:Disorders of Sex Development / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005809:Genes, Regulator; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006066:Gonads / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D034622:RNA Interference; D018510:RNA, Helminth / Q000235:genetics; D011995:Recombination, Genetic
D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D005819:Genetic Markers; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D018510:RNA, Helminth; C106514:HLH-2 protein, C elegans