title: Re-evaluating the role of ELT-3 in a GATA transcription factor circuit proposed to guide aging in C. elegans.
abstract: Budovskaya et al. (Cell. 134, 291-303, 2008) have proposed that the ELT-3 GATA factor regulates somatic aging genes, including those expressed in the intestine, and participates in a transcription factor circuit that "guides Caenorhabditis elegans aging". We have re-investigated two key features of this proposal: (i) expression of elt-3 in the C. elegans adult intestine where the majority of somatic aging genes are expressed, and; (ii) the ability of elt-3 loss-of-function to revert the extended lifespan of daf-2(e1370) mutants. We find that: (i) in agreement with our previously published results, ELT-3 expression is largely hypodermal and is not expressed at significant levels in the adult C. elegans intestine, and; (ii) the elt-3(vp1) zinc-finger deletion mutant does not significantly influence the extended lifespan of daf-2(e1370) mutants. We thus suggest that the role of ELT-3 in C. elegans aging should be re-evaluated.
authors: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors: Tabitha
authors: T
authors: Tonsaker
authors: Ryan M
authors: RM
authors: Pratt
authors: James D
authors: JD
authors: McGhee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000502:physiology*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D050980:GATA Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D050980:GATA Transcription Factors