title: Cell autonomous specification of temporal identity by Caenorhabditis elegans microRNA lin-4.
abstract: MicroRNAs provide developing systems with substantial flexibility in posttranscriptional gene regulation. Despite advances made in understanding microRNA structure and function, the relationships between their site-of-synthesis and site-of-action ("autonomy" versus "non-autonomy") remain an open question. Given the well-defined role of microRNA lin-4 in a reproducible series of time-specific developmental switches, lin-4 is an excellent candidate for understanding whether microRNAs and the resulting heterochronic regulatory pathway have the potential to act cell autonomously. By monitoring temporal development and reporter activity in animals where lin-4 is modulated, we have demonstrated that lin-4 acts cell autonomously to specify temporal identity. This work (i) provides an example of cell autonomy in microRNA functions, and (ii) reveals a cell autonomous component of temporal regulation in C. elegans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Huibin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Andrew Z
authors.initials: AZ
authors.lastname: Fire
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs