Copulation in C. elegans males requires a nuclear hormone receptor
| Autor: | Walter W. Walthall, Ge Shan |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2008 |
| Předmět: |
Male
Gene isoform Recombinant Fusion Proteins Molecular Sequence Data Receptors Cytoplasmic and Nuclear Receptors Cell Surface Nuclear hormone receptor Animals Genetically Modified Sexual Behavior Animal Sexual dimorphism Genes Reporter RNA interference Copulation Animals Protein Isoforms Mating Caenorhabditis elegans Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins Molecular Biology Genetics Sex Characteristics Reporter gene biology fungi Alternative splicing Gene Expression Regulation Developmental Cell Biology biology.organism_classification Spicule protractor and retractor muscles Cell biology Male mating nervous system Nuclear receptor RNA splicing C. elegans RNA Interference Locomotion Developmental Biology |
| Zdroj: | Developmental Biology. 322:11-20 |
| ISSN: | 0012-1606 |
| Popis: | In Caenorhabditis elegans, uncoordinated (unc)-55 encodes a nuclear hormone receptor that is necessary for coordinated movement and male mating. An unc-55 reporter gene revealed a sexually dimorphic pattern: early in post-embryonic motor neurons in both sexes; and later in a subset of male-specific cells that included an interneuron and eight muscle cells. A behavioral analysis coupled with RNA interference (RNAi) revealed that males require UNC-55 to execute copulatory motor programs. Two mRNA isoforms (unc-55a and unc-55b) were detected throughout post-embryonic development in males, whereas only one, unc-55a, was detected in hermaphrodites. In unc-55 mutant males isoform a rescued the locomotion and mating defect, whereas isoform b rescued the mating defect only. Isoform b represents the first report of male-specific splicing in C. elegans. In addition, isoform b extended the number of days that transgenic unc-55 mutant males mated when compared to males rescued with isoform a, suggesting an anabolic role for the nuclear hormone receptor. The male-specific expression and splicing is part of a regulatory hierarchy that includes two key genes, male abnormal (mab)-5 and mab-9, required for the generation and differentiation of male-specific cells. We suggest that UNC-55 acts as an interface between genes involved in male tail pattern formation and those responsible for function. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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