The STAR/Maxi-KH domain protein GLD-1 mediates a developmental switch in the translational control of C. elegans PAL-1

• Published in: Development (Cambridge) Vol. 131; no. 14; pp. 3263 - 3272
• Main Authors: Mootz, Darcy, Ho, Diana M, Hunter, Craig P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England The Company of Biologists Limited 01.07.2004
• Subjects: 3' Untranslated Regions; Animals; Base Sequence; Caenorhabditis elegans; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins - metabolism; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins - physiology; Evolution, Molecular; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Genes, Helminth; Genes, Reporter; Green Fluorescent Proteins; Helminth Proteins - chemistry; Homeodomain Proteins - metabolism; Homeodomain Proteins - physiology; Luminescent Proteins - metabolism; Models, Biological; Molecular Sequence Data; Protein Biosynthesis; Protein Structure, Tertiary; Ribonucleases - metabolism; Ribosomes - metabolism; RNA Interference; RNA, Helminth - chemistry; RNA, Helminth - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; RNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Subcellular Fractions - metabolism; Trans-Activators - metabolism; Trans-Activators - physiology
• ISSN: 0950-1991; 1477-9129
• DOI: 10.1242/dev.01196

Translational control is an essential mechanism of gene control utilized throughout development, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying translational activation and repression are poorly understood. We have investigated the translational control of the C. elegans caudal homolog, pal-1 , and found that GLD-1, a member of the evolutionarily conserved STAR/Maxi-KH domain family, acts through a minimal pal-1 3′ UTR element to repress pal-1 translation in the distal germline. We also provide data suggesting that GLD-1 may repress pal-1 translation after initiation. Finally, we show that GLD-1 represses the distal germline expression of the KH domain protein MEX-3, which was previously shown to repress PAL-1 expression in the proximal germline and which appears specialized to control PAL-1 expression patterns in the embryo. Hence, GLD-1 mediates a developmental switch in the control of PAL-1 repression, allowing MEX-3 to accumulate and take over the task of PAL-1 repression in the proximal germline, where GLD-1 protein levels decline.