The DEAD Box RNA helicase VBH-1 is a new player in the stress response in C. elegans.
For several years, DEAD box RNA helicase Vasa (DDX4) has been used as a bona fide germline marker in different organisms. C. elegans VBH-1 is a close homolog of the Vasa protein, which plays an important role in gametogenesis, germ cell survival and embryonic development. Here, we show that VBH-1 protects nematodes from heat shock and oxidative stress. Using the germline-defective mutant glp-4(bn2) we found that a potential somatic expression of vbh-1 might be important for stress survival. We also show that the VBH-1 paralog LAF-1 is important for stress survival, although this protein is not redundant with its counterpart. Furthermore, we observed that the mRNAs of the heat shock proteins hsp-1 and sip-1 are downregulated when vbh-1 or laf-1 are silenced. Previously, we reported that in C. elegans, VBH-1 was primarily expressed in P granules of germ cells and in the cytoplasm of all blastomeres. Here we show that during stress, VBH-1 co-localizes with CGH-1 in large aggregates in the gonad core and oocytes; however, VBH-1 aggregates do not overlap with CGH-1 foci in early embryos under the same conditions. These data demonstrate that, in addition to the previously described role for this protein in the germline, VBH-1 plays an important role during the stress response in C. elegans through the potential direct or indirect regulation of stress response mRNAs.
Departamento de Biología Celular y Desarrollo, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, Distrito Federal, México.
Daniel
D
Paz-Gómez
Departamento de Biología Celular y Desarrollo, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, Distrito Federal, México.
Emmanuel
E
Villanueva-Chimal
Departamento de Biología Celular y Desarrollo, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, Distrito Federal, México.
Rosa E
RE
Navarro
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006066:Gonads / Q000378:metabolism; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D011485:Protein Binding; D054730:Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs; D021381:Protein Transport; D034622:RNA Interference; D012316:RNA Nucleotidyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000235:genetics*
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012316:RNA Nucleotidyltransferases; C524973:VBH-1 protein, C elegans; C490618:cgh-1 protein, C elegans; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases