Translational repression restricts expression of the C. elegans Nanos homolog NOS-2 to the embryonic germline
Members of the nanos gene family are evolutionarily conserved regulators of germ cell development. In several organisms, Nanos protein expression is restricted to the primordial germ cells (PGCs) during early embryogenesis. Here, we investigate the regulation of the Caenorhabditis elegans nanos homo...
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Published in | Developmental biology Vol. 292; no. 1; pp. 244 - 252 |
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Main Authors | , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
United States
Elsevier Inc
01.04.2006
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Members of the
nanos gene family are evolutionarily conserved regulators of germ cell development. In several organisms, Nanos protein expression is restricted to the primordial germ cells (PGCs) during early embryogenesis. Here, we investigate the regulation of the
Caenorhabditis elegans nanos homolog
nos-2. We find that the
nos-2 RNA is translationally repressed. In the adult germline, translation of the
nos-2 RNA is inhibited in growing oocytes, and this inhibition depends on a short stem loop in the
nos-2 3′UTR. In embryos,
nos-2 translation is repressed in early blastomeres, and this inhibition depends on a second region in the
nos-2 3′UTR.
nos-2 RNA is also degraded in somatic blastomeres by a process that is independent of translational repression and requires the CCCH finger proteins MEX-5 and MEX-6. Finally, the germ plasm component POS-1 activates
nos-2 translation in the PGCs. A combination of translational repression, RNA degradation, and activation by germ plasm has also been implicated in the regulation of
nanos homologs in
Drosophila and zebrafish, suggesting the existence of conserved mechanisms to restrict Nanos expression to the germline. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 0012-1606 1095-564X |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.ydbio.2005.11.046 |