scholarly journals Tissue-Specific Regulation of the LIM Homeobox Gene lin-11 during Development of the Caenorhabditis elegans Egg-Laying System

2002 ◽  
Vol 247 (1) ◽  
pp. 102-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bhagwati P. Gupta ◽  
Paul W. Sternberg
Development ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 125 (3) ◽  
pp. 421-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
B.D. Harfe ◽  
A. Fire

We have identified a new Caenorhabditis elegans NK-2 class homeobox gene, designated ceh-24. Distinct cis-acting elements generate a complex neuronal and mesodermal expression pattern. A promoter-proximal enhancer mediates expression in a single pharyngeal muscle, the donut-shaped m8 cell at the posterior end of the pharynx. A second mesodermal enhancer is active in a set of eight nonstriated vulval muscles used in egg laying. Activation in the egg laying muscles requires an ‘NdE-box’ consensus motif (CATATG) which is related to, but distinct from, the standard E-box motif bound by the MyoD family of transcriptional activators. Ectodermal expression of ceh-24 is limited to a subset of sublateral motor neurons in the head of the animal; this activity requires a cis-acting activator element that is distinct from the control elements for pharyngeal and vulval muscle expression. Activation of ceh-24 in each of the three cell types coincides with the onset of differentiation. Using a set of transposon-induced null mutations, we show that ceh-24 is not essential for the formation of any of these cells. Although ceh-24 mutants have no evident defects under laboratory conditions, the pattern of ceh-24 activity is apparently important for Rhabditid nematodes: the related species C. briggsae contains a close homologue of C. elegans ceh-24 including a highly conserved and functionally equivalent set of cis-acting control signals.


Genetics ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 158 (1) ◽  
pp. 197-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongping Du ◽  
Martin Chalfie

Abstract To identify genes regulating the development of the six touch receptor neurons, we screened the F2 progeny of mutated animals expressing an integrated mec-2::gfp transgene that is expressed mainly in these touch cells. From 2638 mutated haploid genomes, we obtained 11 mutations representing 11 genes that affected the production, migration, or outgrowth of the touch cells. Eight of these mutations were in known genes, and 2 defined new genes (mig-21 and vab-15). The mig-21 mutation is the first known to affect the asymmetry of the migrations of Q neuroblasts, the cells that give rise to two of the six touch cells. vab-15 is a msh-like homeobox gene that appears to be needed for the proper production of touch cell precursors, since vab-15 animals lacked the four more posterior touch cells. The remaining touch cells (the ALM cells) were present but mispositioned. A similar touch cell phenotype is produced by mutations in lin-32. A more severe phenotype; i.e., animals often lacked ALM cells, was seen in lin-32 vab-15 double mutants, suggesting that these genes acted redundantly in ALM differentiation. In addition to the touch cell abnormalities, vab-15 animals variably exhibit embryonic or larval lethality, cell degenerations, malformation of the posterior body, uncoordinated movement, and defective egg laying.


1991 ◽  
Vol 266 (36) ◽  
pp. 24613-24620
Author(s):  
A. Subramaniam ◽  
W.K. Jones ◽  
J. Gulick ◽  
S. Wert ◽  
J. Neumann ◽  
...  

Genetics ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 154 (3) ◽  
pp. 1181-1192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura E Waggoner ◽  
Laura Anne Hardaker ◽  
Steven Golik ◽  
William R Schafer

Abstract Egg-laying behavior in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans involves fluctuation between alternative behavioral states: an inactive state, during which eggs are retained in the uterus, and an active state, during which eggs are laid in bursts. We have found that the flp-1 gene, which encodes a group of structurally related neuropeptides, functions specifically to promote the switch from the inactive to the active egg-laying state. Recessive mutations in flp-1 caused a significant increase in the duration of the inactive phase, yet egg-laying within the active phase was normal. This pattern resembled that previously observed in mutants defective in the biosynthesis of serotonin, a neuromodulator implicated in induction of the active phase. Although flp-1 mutants were sensitive to stimulation of egg-laying by serotonin, the magnitude of their serotonin response was abnormally low. Thus, the flp-1-encoded peptides and serotonin function most likely function in concert to facilitate the onset of the active egg-laying phase. Interestingly, we observed that flp-1 is necessary for animals to down-regulate their rate of egg-laying in the absence of food. Because flp-1 is known to be expressed in interneurons that are postsynaptic to a variety of chemosensory cells, the FLP-1 peptides may function to regulate the activity of the egg-laying circuitry in response to sensory cues.


1998 ◽  
Vol 329 (1) ◽  
pp. 191-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa M. BOWKER-KINLEY ◽  
I. Wilhelmina DAVIS ◽  
Pengfei WU ◽  
A. Robert HARRIS ◽  
M. Kirill POPOV

Tissue distribution and kinetic parameters for the four isoenzymes of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK1, PDK2, PDK3 and PDK4) identified thus far in mammals were analysed. It appeared that expression of these isoenzymes occurs in a tissue-specific manner. The mRNA for isoenzyme PDK1 was found almost exclusively in rat heart. The mRNA for PDK3 was most abundantly expressed in rat testis. The message for PDK2 was present in all tissues tested but the level was low in spleen and lung. The mRNA for PDK4 was predominantly expressed in skeletal muscle and heart. The specific activities of the isoenzymes varied 25-fold, from 50 nmol/min per mg for PDK2 to 1250 nmol/min per mg for PDK3. Apparent Ki values of the isoenzymes for the synthetic analogue of pyruvate, dichloroacetate, varied 40-fold, from 0.2 mM for PDK2 to 8 mM for PDK3. The isoenzymes were also different with respect to their ability to respond to NADH and NADH plus acetyl-CoA. NADH alone stimulated the activities of PDK1 and PDK2 by 20 and 30% respectively. NADH plus acetyl-CoA activated these isoenzymes nearly 200 and 300%. Under comparable conditions, isoenzyme PDK3 was almost completely unresponsive to NADH, and NADH plus acetyl-CoA caused inhibition rather than activation. Isoenzyme PDK4 was activated almost 2-fold by NADH, but NADH plus acetyl-CoA did not activate above the level seen with NADH alone. These results provide the first evidence that the unique tissue distribution and kinetic characteristics of the isoenzymes of PDK are among the major factors responsible for tissue-specific regulation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex activity.


2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (01) ◽  
pp. 14-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dale Leitman ◽  
Sreenivasan Paruthiyil ◽  
Chaoshen Yuan ◽  
Candice Herber ◽  
Moshe Olshansky ◽  
...  

Peptides ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 801-808 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Labelle ◽  
Yvan Boulanger ◽  
Alain Fournier ◽  
Serge St.-Pierre ◽  
Roland Savard

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