title: LSY-2 is essential for maintaining the germ-soma distinction in C. elegans.
abstract: The mechanisms that specify and maintain the characteristics of germ cells during animal development are poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrated that loss of function of the zinc-finger gene lsy-2 results in various somatic cells adopting germ cells characteristics, including expression of germline-specific P granules, enhanced RNAi activity and transgene silencing. The soma to germ transformation in lsy-2 mutants requires the activities of multiple chromatin remodeling complexes, including the MES-4 complex and the ISW-1 complex. The distinct germline-specific features in somatic cells and the gene expression profile indicate that LSY-2 acts in the Mec complex in this process. Our study demonstrated that lsy-2 functions in the maintenance of the soma-germ distinction.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yuping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Libo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Gangming
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D020043:Genes, Essential / Q000235:genetics; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D034622:RNA Interference; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C086468:ISWI protein; C521809:Lsy-2 protein, C elegans; C449639:Mes-4 protein, C elegans; D014157:Transcription Factors; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases