title: Linking Gene Expression in the Intestine to Production of Gametes Through the Phosphate Transporter PITR-1 in Caenorhabditis elegans.
abstract: Inorganic phosphate is an essential mineral for both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell metabolism and structure. Its uptake into the cell is mediated by membrane-bound transporters and coupled to Na(+) transport. Mammalian sodium-dependent Pi cotransporters have been grouped into three families NaPi-I, NaPi-II, and NaPi-III. Despite being discovered more than two decades ago, very little is known about requirements for NaPi-III transporters in vivo, in the context of intact animal models. Here we find that impaired function of the Caenorhabditis elegans NaPi-III transporter, pitr-1, results in decreased brood size and dramatically increased expression of vitellogenin by the worm intestine. Unexpectedly, we found that the effects of pitr-1 mutation on vitellogenin expression in the intestine could only be rescued by expression of pitr-1 in the germline, and not by expression of pitr-1 in the intestine itself. Our results indicate the existence of a signal from the germline that regulates gene expression in the intestine, perhaps linking nutrient export from the intestine to production of gametes by the germline.
authors.affiliation: School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, B4 7ET, United Kingdom z.balklava@aston.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Zita
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Balklava
authors.affiliation: School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, B4 7ET, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Navin D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Rathnakumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854.
authors.forename: Shilpa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vashist
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854.
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Schweinsberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854.
authors.forename: Barth D
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5943-8336
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Grant
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D028061:Phosphate Transport Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D028061:Phosphate Transport Proteins; D010710:Phosphates; D012333:RNA, Messenger
keywords: Caenorhabditis elegans; PiT; germline signaling; phosphate sensing; sodium-dependent phosphate transporter; yolk