title: Chromatin remodelling and antisense-mediated up-regulation of the developmental switch gene eud-1 control predatory feeding plasticity.
abstract: Phenotypic plasticity has been suggested to act through developmental switches, but little is known about associated molecular mechanisms. In the nematode Pristionchus pacificus, the sulfatase eud-1 was identified as part of a developmental switch controlling mouth-form plasticity governing a predatory versus bacteriovorous mouth-form decision. Here we show that mutations in the conserved histone-acetyltransferase Ppa-lsy-12 and the methyl-binding-protein Ppa-mbd-2 mimic the eud-1 phenotype, resulting in the absence of one mouth-form. Mutations in both genes cause histone modification defects and reduced eud-1 expression. Surprisingly, Ppa-lsy-12 mutants also result in the down-regulation of an antisense-eud-1 RNA. eud-1 and antisense-eud-1 are co-expressed and further experiments suggest that antisense-eud-1 acts through eud-1 itself. Indeed, overexpression of the antisense-eud-1 RNA increases the eud-1-sensitive mouth-form and extends eud-1 expression. In contrast, this effect is absent in eud-1 mutants indicating that antisense-eud-1 positively regulates eud-1. Thus, chromatin remodelling and antisense-mediated up-regulation of eud-1 control feeding plasticity in Pristionchus.
authors.affiliation: Department for Evolutionary Biology, Max-Planck-Institute for Developmental Biology, Spemannstrasse 35, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Vahan
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Serobyan
authors.affiliation: Department for Evolutionary Biology, Max-Planck-Institute for Developmental Biology, Spemannstrasse 35, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Department for Evolutionary Biology, Max-Planck-Institute for Developmental Biology, Spemannstrasse 35, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Suryesh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Namdeo
authors.affiliation: Department for Evolutionary Biology, Max-Planck-Institute for Developmental Biology, Spemannstrasse 35, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rödelsperger
authors.affiliation: Department for Evolutionary Biology, Max-Planck-Institute for Developmental Biology, Spemannstrasse 35, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Bogdan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sieriebriennikov
authors.affiliation: Department for Evolutionary Biology, Max-Planck-Institute for Developmental Biology, Spemannstrasse 35, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Hanh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Witte
authors.affiliation: Department for Evolutionary Biology, Max-Planck-Institute for Developmental Biology, Spemannstrasse 35, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Waltraud
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Röseler
authors.affiliation: Department for Evolutionary Biology, Max-Planck-Institute for Developmental Biology, Spemannstrasse 35, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralf J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Sommer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D042002:Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly / Q000235:genetics*; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D050437:Genes, Developmental; D017238:Genes, Helminth; D005812:Genes, Switch; D056426:Genetic Loci; D058685:Genetic Pleiotropy; D051548:Histone Acetyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D009055:Mouth; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009348:Nematoda / Q000235:genetics*; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D016372:RNA, Antisense / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D006657:Histones; D016372:RNA, Antisense; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051548:Histone Acetyltransferases