RNA target specificity of the embryonic cell fate determinant POS-1
UMass Chan Affiliations
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular PharmacologyDocument Type
Journal ArticlePublication Date
2008-10-28Keywords
AnimalsBase Sequence
Binding Sites
Caenorhabditis elegans
Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
Carrier Proteins
Consensus Sequence
Embryonic Development
RNA, Messenger
RNA-Binding Proteins
Untranslated Regions
Life Sciences
Medicine and Health Sciences
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Specification of Caenorhabditis elegans body axes and cell fates occurs prior to the activation of zygotic transcription. Several CCCH-type tandem zinc finger (TZF) proteins coordinate local activation of quiescent maternal mRNAs after fertilization, leading to asymmetric expression of factors required for patterning. The primary determinant of posterior fate is the TZF protein POS-1. Mutants of pos-1 are maternal effect lethal with a terminal phenotype that includes excess pharyngeal tissue and no endoderm or germline. Here, we delineate the consensus POS-1 recognition element (PRE) required for specific recognition of its target mRNAs. The PRE is necessary but not sufficient to pattern the expression of a reporter. The PRE is distinct from sequences recognized by related proteins from both mammals and nematodes, demonstrating that variants of this protein family can recognize divergent RNA sequences. The PRE is found within the 3' untranslated region of 227 maternal transcripts required for early development, including genes involved in endoderm and germline specification. The results enable prediction of novel targets that explain the pleiotropy of the pos-1 phenotype.Source
RNA. 2008 Dec;14(12):2685-97. Epub 2008 Oct 24. Link to article on publisher's site
DOI
10.1261/rna.1256708Permanent Link to this Item
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14038/39113PubMed ID
18952820Related Resources
ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1261/rna.1256708