title: NHR-23 dependent collagen and hedgehog-related genes required for molting.
abstract: NHR-23, a conserved member of the nuclear receptor family of transcription factors, is required for normal development in Caenorhabditis elegans where it plays a critical role in growth and molting. In a search for NHR-23 dependent genes, we performed whole genome comparative expression microarrays on both control and nhr-23 inhibited synchronized larvae. Genes that decreased in response to nhr-23 RNAi included several collagen genes. Unexpectedly, several hedgehog-related genes were also down-regulated after nhr-23 RNAi. A homozygous nhr-23 deletion allele was used to confirm the RNAi knockdown phenotypes and the changes in gene expression. Our results indicate that NHR-23 is a critical co-regulator of functionally linked genes involved in growth and molting and reveal evolutionary parallels among the ecdysozoa.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Model Systems, Institute of Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Nathaniel A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Kouns
authors.forename: Johana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nakielna
authors.forename: Frantisek
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Behensky
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Krause
authors.forename: Zdenek
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kostrouch
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kostrouchova
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018978:Molting / Q000235:genetics*; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; C568367:NHR-23 protein, C elegans; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D014157:Transcription Factors