title: Cis- and trans-regulatory mechanisms of gene expression in the ASJ sensory neuron of Caenorhabditis elegans.
abstract: The identity of a given cell type is determined by the expression of a set of genes sharing common cis-regulatory motifs and being regulated by shared transcription factors. Here, we identify cis and trans regulatory elements that drive gene expression in the bilateral sensory neuron ASJ, located in the head of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. For this purpose, we have dissected the promoters of the only two genes so far reported to be exclusively expressed in ASJ, trx-1 and ssu-1. We hereby identify the ASJ motif, a functional cis-regulatory bipartite promoter region composed of two individual 6 bp elements separated by a 3 bp linker. The first element is a 6 bp CG-rich sequence that presumably binds the Sp family member zinc-finger transcription factor SPTF-1. Interestingly, within the C. elegans nervous system SPTF-1 is also found to be expressed only in ASJ neurons where it regulates expression of other genes in these neurons and ASJ cell fate. The second element of the bipartite motif is a 6 bp AT-rich sequence that is predicted to potentially bind a transcription factor of the homeobox family. Together, our findings identify a specific promoter signature and SPTF-1 as a transcription factor that functions as a terminal selector gene to regulate gene expression in C. elegans ASJ sensory neurons.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad de Sevilla, E-41013 Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: González-Barrios
authors.affiliation: Karolinska Institute, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, S-141 83 Huddinge, Sweden.
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4871-1621
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Fierro-González
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus MC, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Krpelanova
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad de Sevilla, E-41013 Sevilla, Spain Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, E-41012 Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mora-Lorca
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Bioquímica y Señalización Celular, Departamento de Biología Experimental, Universidad de Jaén, E-23071 Jaén, Spain.
authors.forename: José Rafael
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Pedrajas
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad de Sevilla, E-41013 Sevilla, Spain Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, E-41012 Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: Xenia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Peñate
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad de Sevilla, E-41013 Sevilla, Spain Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, E-41012 Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: Sebastián
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chavez
authors.affiliation: Karolinska Institute, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, S-141 83 Huddinge, Sweden.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6416-8572
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Swoboda
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus MC, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gert
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7524-171X
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad de Sevilla, E-41013 Sevilla, Spain amiranda-ibis@us.es.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6856-5396
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miranda-Vizuete
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020862:GC Rich Sequence; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D015238:Sulfotransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013879:Thioredoxins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C508778:TRX-1 protein, C elegans; D014157:Transcription Factors; D013879:Thioredoxins; D015238:Sulfotransferases; C515970:SSU-1 protein, C elegans
keywords: ASJ motif; ASJ neuron; Caenorhabditis elegans; SPTF-1 transcription factor; promoter; thioredoxin