The PAF1 complex is involved in embryonic epidermal morphogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans.
The PAF1 complex (PAF1C) is an evolutionarily conserved protein complex involved in transcriptional regulation and chromatin remodeling. How the PAF1C is involved in animal development is still not well understood. Here, we report that, in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the PAF1C is involved in epidermal morphogenesis in late embryogenesis. From an RNAi screen we identified the C. elegans ortholog of a component of the PAF1C, CTR-9, as a gene whose depletion caused various defects during embryonic epidermal morphogenesis, including epidermal cell positioning, ventral enclosure and epidermal elongation. RNAi of orthologs of other four components of the PAF1C (PAFO-1, LEO-1, CDC-73 and RTFO-1) caused similar epidermal defects. In these embryos, whereas the number and cell fate determination of epidermal cells were apparently unaffected, their position and shape were severely disorganized. PAFO-1::mCherry, mCherry::LEO-1 and GFP::RTFO-1 driven by the authentic promoters were detected in the nuclei of a wide range of cells. Nuclear localization of GFP::RTFO-1 was independent of other PAF1C components, while PAFO-1::mCherry and mCherry::LEO-1 dependent on other components except RTFO-1. Epidermis-specific expression of mCherry::LEO-1 rescued embryonic lethality of the leo-1 deletion mutant. Thus, although the PAF1C is universally expressed in C. elegans embryos, its epidermal function is crucial for the viability of this animal.
Laboratory of Developmental Dynamics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan. Electronic address: yu-kubota@m.tohoku.ac.jp.
Yukihiko
Y
Kubota
Laboratory of Developmental Dynamics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan. Electronic address: t-kenji@life.biology.tohoku.ac.jp.
Kenji
K
Tsuyama
Laboratory of Developmental Dynamics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan. Electronic address: takabayashi@seika.che.tohoku.ac.jp.
Yusuke
Y
Takabayashi
Laboratory of Developmental Dynamics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan. Electronic address: nharuta@m.tohoku.ac.jp.
Nami
N
Haruta
Laboratory for Developmental Genomics, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Kobe 650-0047, Japan. Electronic address: ymaruyama@ualberta.ca.
Rika
R
Maruyama
Laboratory for Developmental Genomics, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Kobe 650-0047, Japan. Electronic address: naiida@nig.ac.jp.
Naoko
N
Iida
Laboratory of Developmental Dynamics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan; Laboratory for Developmental Genomics, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Kobe 650-0047, Japan. Electronic address: asugimoto@m.tohoku.ac.jp.
Asako
A
Sugimoto
D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D002843:Chromatin / Q000737:chemistry*; D004817:Epidermis / Q000196:embryology; D017353:Gene Deletion; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D034622:RNA Interference; D013997:Time Factors
D000199:Actins; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002843:Chromatin; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins
Caenorhabditis elegans; Embryogenesis; Epidermal morphogenesis; PAF1 complex