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Differential expression pattern of the four mitochondrial adenine nucleotide transporter ant genes and their roles during the development of Caenorhabditis elegans
Author(s) -
Farina Francesca,
Alberti Adriana,
Breuil Norman,
BolotinFukuhara Monique,
Pinto Moïse,
Culetto Emmanuel
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
developmental dynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.634
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1097-0177
pISSN - 1058-8388
DOI - 10.1002/dvdy.21578
Subject(s) - biology , ant , rna interference , caenorhabditis elegans , gene , mutant , genetics , phenotype , microbiology and biotechnology , morphogenesis , rna , ecology
The adenine nucleotide transporter (ANT) mediates exchange of cytosolic ADP and mitochondrial ATP. Although most species contain more than one ANT family member, it is not known whether their roles in developmental processes are redundant or specific. Here, we show that the Caenorhabditis elegans genome encodes four candidate ant genes ( ant ‐ 1.1 , ant ‐ 1.2 , ant ‐ 1.3 , and ant ‐ 1.4 ). We have investigated their spatiotemporal expression patterns and discovered that, whereas ANT‐1.1 is a ubiquitously expressed mitochondrial protein, the other three ANT proteins show a restricted range of cell type expression. Moreover, only the disruption of ant ‐ 1.1 function, through RNA interference (RNAi), gives a mutant phenotype. Most of the ant ‐ 1.1 ( RNAi ) mutant embryos arrest before the morphogenesis stage. Furthermore, ant ‐ 1.1 is also required postembryonically because RNAi mutants exhibit small size and life‐span extension. Our results suggest that ant ‐ 1.1 is the only ant gene strictly required for embryonic and postembryonic development in C. elegans . Developmental Dynamics 237:1668–1681, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.