title: Genomic Analyses of Sperm Fate Regulator Targets Reveal a Common Set of Oogenic mRNAs in Caenorhabditis elegans.
abstract: Germ cell specification as sperm or oocyte is an ancient cell fate decision, but its molecular regulation is poorly understood. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the FOG-1 and FOG-3 proteins behave genetically as terminal regulators of sperm fate specification. Both are homologous to well-established RNA regulators, suggesting that FOG-1 and FOG-3 specify the sperm fate post-transcriptionally. We predicted that FOG-1 and FOG-3, as terminal regulators of the sperm fate, might regulate a battery of gamete-specific differentiation genes. Here we test that prediction by exploring on a genomic scale the messenger RNAs (mRNAs) associated with FOG-1 and FOG-3. Immunoprecipitation of the proteins and their associated mRNAs from spermatogenic germlines identifies 81 FOG-1 and 722 FOG-3 putative targets. Importantly, almost all FOG-1 targets are also FOG-3 targets, and these common targets are strongly biased for oogenic mRNAs. The discovery of common target mRNAs suggested that FOG-1 and FOG-3 work together. Consistent with that idea, we find that FOG-1 and FOG-3 proteins co-immunoprecipitate from both intact nematodes and mammalian tissue culture cells and that they colocalize in germ cells. Taking our results together, we propose a model in which FOG-1 and FOG-3 work in a complex to repress oogenic transcripts and thereby promote the sperm fate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706.
authors.forename: Daniel C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Noble
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706.
authors.forename: Scott T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706.
authors.forename: Marco A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ortiz
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706.
authors.forename: Kyung Won
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706.
authors.forename: Jamie M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Verheyden
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 jekimble@wisc.edu.
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kimble
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009866:Oogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D012323:RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D019076:Transgenes
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C403465:FOG-3 protein, C elegans; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C498431:fog-1 protein, C elegans
keywords: CPEB; FOG-1; FOG-3; Tob; sperm/oocyte decision