title: PROS-1/Prospero Is a Major Regulator of the Glia-Specific Secretome Controlling Sensory-Neuron Shape and Function in C. elegans.
abstract: Sensory neurons are an animal's gateway to the world, and their receptive endings, the sites of sensory signal transduction, are often associated with glia. Although glia are known to promote sensory-neuron functions, the molecular bases of these interactions are poorly explored. Here, we describe a post-developmental glial role for the PROS-1/Prospero/PROX1 homeodomain protein in sensory-neuron function in C. elegans. Using glia expression profiling, we demonstrate that, unlike previously characterized cell fate roles, PROS-1 functions post-embryonically to control sense-organ glia-specific secretome expression. PROS-1 functions cell autonomously to regulate glial secretion and membrane structure, and non-cell autonomously to control the shape and function of the receptive endings of sensory neurons. Known glial genes controlling sensory-neuron function are PROS-1 targets, and we identify additional PROS-1-dependent genes required for neuron attributes. Drosophila Prospero and vertebrate PROX1 are expressed in post-mitotic sense-organ glia and astrocytes, suggesting conserved roles for this class of transcription factors.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Sean W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Aakanksha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singhvi
authors.affiliation: CCTS Research Bioinformatics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Yupu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA. Electronic address: shaham@rockefeller.edu.
authors.forename: Shai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shaham
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019070:Cell Lineage; D048430:Cell Shape; D060833:Cellular Microenvironment; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D017353:Gene Deletion; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017238:Genes, Helminth; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism*; D020543:Proteome / Q000378:metabolism*; D034622:RNA Interference; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C000613327:PROS-1 protein, C elegans; D020543:Proteome; D012333:RNA, Messenger