title: The C. elegans TPR Containing Protein, TRD-1, Regulates Cell Fate Choice in the Developing Germ Line and Epidermis.
abstract: Correct cell fate choice is crucial in development. In post-embryonic development of the hermaphroditic Caenorhabitis elegans, distinct cell fates must be adopted in two diverse tissues. In the germline, stem cells adopt one of three possible fates: mitotic cell cycle, or gamete formation via meiosis, producing either sperm or oocytes. In the epidermis, the stem cell-like seam cells divide asymmetrically, with the daughters taking on either a proliferative (seam) or differentiated (hypodermal or neuronal) fate. We have isolated a novel conserved C. elegans tetratricopeptide repeat containing protein, TRD-1, which is essential for cell fate determination in both the germline and the developing epidermis and has homologs in other species, including humans (TTC27). We show that trd-1(RNAi) and mutant animals have fewer seam cells as a result of inappropriate differentiation towards the hypodermal fate. In the germline, trd-1 RNAi results in a strong masculinization phenotype, as well as defects in the mitosis to meiosis switch. Our data suggests that trd-1 acts downstream of tra-2 but upstream of fem-3 in the germline sex determination pathway, and exhibits a constellation of phenotypes in common with other Mog (masculinization of germline) mutants. Thus, trd-1 is a new player in both the somatic and germline cell fate determination machinery, suggestive of a novel molecular connection between the development of these two diverse tissues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Sophie P R
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Marcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kishida
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Siyu Serena
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Woollard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000502:physiology; D004817:Epidermis / Q000254:growth & development*; D005260:Female; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis / Q000502:physiology; D008938:Mitosis / Q000502:physiology; D019849:Sex Determination Processes / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; C000623259:TRD-1 protein, C elegans