title: Tissue expression pattern of PMK-2 p38 MAPK is established by the miR-58 family in C. elegans.
abstract: Analyses of gene expression profiles in evolutionarily diverse organisms have revealed a role for microRNAs in tuning tissue-specific gene expression. Here, we show that the relatively abundant and constitutively expressed miR-58 family of microRNAs sharply defines the tissue-specific expression of the broadly transcribed gene encoding PMK-2 p38 MAPK in Caenorhabditis elegans. Whereas PMK-2 functions redundantly with PMK-1 in the nervous system to regulate neuronal development and behavioral responses to pathogenic bacteria, the miR-58, miR-80, miR-81, and miR-82 microRNAs function redundantly to destabilize pmk-2 mRNA in non-neuronal cells with switch-like potency. Our data suggest a role for the miR-58 family in the establishment of neuronal-specific gene expression in C. elegans, and support a more general role for microRNAs in the establishment of tissue-specific gene expression.
authors: Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors: Daniel J
authors: DJ
authors: Pagano
authors: Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors: Elena R
authors: ER
authors: Kingston
authors: Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors: Dennis H
authors: DH
authors: Kim
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D009420:Nervous System / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D009876:Operon; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010766:Phosphorylation; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C000599211:MIRN58 microRNA, C elegans; C587166:MIRN80 microRNA, C elegans; D035683:MicroRNAs; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; C463460:Pmk-1 protein, C elegans; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; C445123:pmk-2 protein, C elegans