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Repression by the 3′ UTR of fem‐3 , asex‐determining gene, relies on a ubiquitous mog ‐dependent control in Caenorhabditis elegans
Author(s) -
Gallegos Maria,
Ahringer Julie,
Crittenden Sarah,
Kimble Judith
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.1093/emboj/17.21.6337
Subject(s) - biology , caenorhabditis elegans , caenorhabditis , psychological repression , three prime untranslated region , genetics , untranslated region , gene , gene expression , messenger rna
The fem‐3 sex‐determining gene is repressed post‐transcriptionally via a regulatory element in its 3′ untranslated region (UTR) to achieve the switch from spermatogenesis to oogenesis in the Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodite germ line. In this paper, we investigate the fem‐3 3′ UTR control in somatic tissues using transgenic reporter assays, and we also identify six genes essential for this control. First, we find that a reporter transgene bearing a wild‐type fem‐3 3′ UTR is repressed in somatic tissues, whereas one bearing a mutant fem‐3 3′ UTR is derepressed. Moreover, control by mutant 3′ UTRs is temperature sensitive as predicted from the temperature sensitivity of the fem‐3 gain‐of‐function (gf) mutations. Secondly, we find a fem‐3 3′ UTR RNA‐binding activity in somatic tissues, in addition to the previously reported germ‐line‐specific binding by FBF. Thirdly, we find that each of six genes, mog‐1 – mog‐6 , is required for repression by the fem‐3 3′ UTR. Therefore, the mog genes not only affect the sperm/oocyte switch in the germ line, but also function in somatic tissues. We suggest that the mog genes may encode components of a ubiquitous machinery that is used for fem‐3 3′ UTR‐mediated repression and the sperm/oocyte switch.