title: Expression pattern and first functional characterization of riok-1 in Caenorhabditis elegans.
abstract: Rio kinases are atypical serine/threonine kinases that emerge as potential cooperation partners in Ras-driven tumors. In the current study, we performed an RNAi screen in Caenorhabditis elegans to identify suppressors of oncogenic Ras signaling. Aberrant Ras/Raf signaling in C. elegans leads to the formation of a multi-vulva (Muv) phenotype. We found that depletion of riok-1, the C. elegans orthologue of the mammalian RioK1, suppressed the Muv phenotype. By using a promoter GFP construct, we could show that riok-1 is expressed in neuronal cells, the somatic gonad, the vulva, the uterus and the spermatheca. Furthermore, we observed developmental defects in the gonad upon riok-1 knockdown in a wildtype background. Our data suggest that riok-1 is a modulator of the Ras signaling pathway, suggesting implications for novel interventions in the context of Ras-driven tumors.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology III, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Germany; Centre for Biological Systems Analysis (ZBSA), Freiburg, Germany; IMMZ - Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Weinberg
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology III, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Germany; BIOSS - Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Ekkehard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schulze
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology III, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Germany; Centre for Biological Systems Analysis (ZBSA), Freiburg, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Molecular and Cell Biology (IMPRS-MCB), Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Chronis
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fatouros
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology III, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Germany; Centre for Biological Systems Analysis (ZBSA), Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology III, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Germany; Centre for Biological Systems Analysis (ZBSA), Freiburg, Germany; IMMZ - Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany; BIOSS - Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baumeister
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology III, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Germany; Centre for Biological Systems Analysis (ZBSA), Freiburg, Germany; IMMZ - Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany; BIOSS - Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Germany. Electronic address: tilman.brummer@zbsa.de.
authors.forename: Tilman
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brummer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002070:Butadienes / Q000737:chemistry; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000196:embryology*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019070:Cell Lineage; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D006066:Gonads / Q000196:embryology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D009570:Nitriles / Q000737:chemistry; D010641:Phenotype; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D034622:RNA Interference; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002070:Butadienes; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009570:Nitriles; C113580:U 0126; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases
keywords: Gonad development; LET-60; Multi-vulva phenotype; RIOK-1; RNAi screen; Vulval development