daf-12 encodes a nuclear receptor that regulates the dauer diapause and developmental age in C. elegans

• Published in: Genes & development Vol. 14; no. 12; pp. 1512 - 1527
• Main Authors: Antebi, A, Yeh, W H, Tait, D, Hedgecock, E M, Riddle, D L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 15.06.2000
• Subjects: Alleles; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Base Sequence; Caenorhabditis elegans; Caenorhabditis elegans - embryology; Caenorhabditis elegans - genetics; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; Cell Nucleus - genetics; Cosmids; daf-12 gene; DAF-12 protein; DNA - metabolism; DNA, Complementary - metabolism; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Ligands; Molecular Sequence Data; Mutagenesis; Mutation; Phenotype; Phylogeny; Physical Chromosome Mapping; Protein Isoforms; Protein Structure, Tertiary; Receptors, Calcitriol - chemistry; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear - chemistry; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear - genetics; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear - physiology; Receptors, Steroid - chemistry; Research Paper; Time Factors; Tissue Distribution
• ISSN: 0890-9369; 1549-5477
• DOI: 10.1101/gad.14.12.1512

The daf-12 gene acts at the convergence of pathways regulating larval diapause, developmental age, and adult longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans. It encodes a nuclear receptor most closely related to two C. elegans receptors, NHR-8 and NHR-48, Drosophila DHR96, and vertebrate vitamin D and pregnane-X receptors. daf-12 has three predicted protein isoforms, two of which contain DNA- and ligand-binding domains, and one of which contains the ligand-binding domain only. Mutations cluster in DNA- and ligand-binding domains, but correspond to distinct phenotypic classes. DAF-12 is expressed widely in target tissues from embryo to adult, but is upregulated during midlarval stages. In the adult, expression persists in nervous system and somatic gonad, two tissues that regulate adult longevity. We propose that DAF-12 integrates hormonal signals in cellular targets to coordinate major life history traits.