title: Neuronal function of the mRNA decapping complex determines survival ofCaenorhabditis elegansat high temperature through temporal regulation of heterochronic gene expression.
abstract: In response to adverse environmental cues,Caenorhabditis eleganslarvae can temporarily arrest development at the second moult and form dauers, a diapause stage that allows for long-term survival. This process is largely regulated by certain evolutionarily conserved signal transduction pathways, but it is also affected by miRNA-mediated post-transcriptional control of gene expression. The 5'-3' mRNA decay mechanism contributes to miRNA-mediated silencing of target mRNAs in many organisms but how it affects developmental decisions during normal or stress conditions is largely unknown. Here, we show that loss of the mRNA decapping complex activity acting in the 5'-3' mRNA decay pathway inhibits dauer formation at the stressful high temperature of 27.5°C, and instead promotes early developmental arrest. Our genetic data suggest that this arrest phenotype correlates with dysregulation of heterochronic gene expression and an aberrant stabilization oflin-14mRNA at early larval stages. Restoration of neuronaldcap-1activity was sufficient to rescue growth phenotypes ofdcap-1mutants at both high and normal temperatures, implying the involvement of common developmental timing mechanisms. Our work unveils the crucial role of 5'-3' mRNA degradation in proper regulation of heterochronic gene expression programmes, which proved to be essential for survival under stressful conditions.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Center of Basic Research, Athens 11527, Greece.|Faculty of Biology, School of Science, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Fivos
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Borbolis
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Center of Basic Research, Athens 11527, Greece.|Faculty of Biology, School of Science, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Christina-Maria
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Flessa
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Center of Basic Research, Athens 11527, Greece.|School of Medicine, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Fani
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Roumelioti
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biology, School of Science, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Diallinas
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biology, School of Science, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitrios J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Stravopodis
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Center of Basic Research, Athens 11527, Greece synticha@bioacademy.gr.
authors.forename: Popi
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9536-8905
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Syntichaki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004722:Endoribonucleases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006358:Hot Temperature; D009154:Mutation; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D020871:RNA Stability; D013312:Stress, Physiological
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C030052:mRNA decapping enzymes; D004722:Endoribonucleases
keywords: Caenorhabditis elegans; dcap-1; developmental arrest; lin-14; stress