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Lifespan extension and increased pumping rate accompany pharyngeal muscle‐specific expression of nfi ‐ 1 in C. elegans
Author(s) -
Lazakovitch Elena,
Kalb John M.,
Gronostajski Richard M.
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.21632
Subject(s) - biology , caenorhabditis elegans , pharyngeal muscles , phenotype , transgene , transcription factor , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , gene expression , genetics , pharynx , anatomy
Caenorhabditis elegans nfi ‐ 1 belongs to the Nuclear Factor I (NFI) family of transcription factors known to regulate metazoan gene expression and development. We showed previously that loss of nfi ‐ 1 in worms results in multiple behavioral defects; slower pharyngeal pumping rate, impaired egg laying, defective motility, and a shortened life span. Here, we generated cell‐type specific transgenic worms to determine the cells in which nfi ‐ 1 must be expressed to rescue the pharyngeal pumping defect. Expression of nfi ‐ 1 from the pharyngeal muscle‐specific myo ‐ 2 promoter, but not from the F25B3.3 or myo ‐ 3 promoters, rescued the pharyngeal pumping defect of nfi ‐ 1 worms. Surprisingly, myo ‐ 2 ‐driven nfi ‐ 1 expression also rescued the shortened lifespan of nfi ‐ 1 worms, demonstrating a possible cell‐autonomous role of nfi ‐ 1 in pharyngeal muscle for both phenotypes. We propose some relationships between the pharyngeal pumping and lifespan phenotypes and potential mechanisms of nfi ‐ 1 function. Developmental Dynamics 237:2100–2107, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.