Reciprocal asymmetry of SYS-1/Î²-catenin and POP-1/TCF controls asymmetric divisions in Caenorhabditis elegans

Bryan T Phillips; Ambrose R Kidd; Ryan King; Jeff Hardin; Judith Kimble

doi:10.1073/pnas.0611507104

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Reciprocal asymmetry of SYS-1/Î²-catenin and POP-1/TCF controls asymmetric divisions in Caenorhabditis elegans

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Reciprocal asymmetry of SYS-1/Î²-catenin and POP-1/TCF controls asymmetric divisions in Caenorhabditis elegans

Bryan T Phillips, Ambrose R Kidd, Ryan King, Jeff Hardin and Judith Kimble

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS, Vol.104(9), pp.3231-3236

02/27/2007

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0611507104

PMCID: PMC1796998

PMID: 17296929

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Abstract

β-Catenins are conserved regulators of metazoan development that function with TCF DNA-binding proteins to activate transcription. In Caenorhabditis elegans , SYS-1/β-catenin and POP-1/TCF regulate several asymmetric divisions, including that of the somatic gonadal precursor cell (SGP). In the distal but not the proximal SGP daughter, SYS-1/β-catenin and POP-1/TCF transcriptionally activate ceh-22 to specify the distal fate. Here, we investigate the distribution of SYS-1/β-catenin and its regulation. Using a rescuing transgene, VNS::SYS-1, which fuses VENUS fluorescent protein to SYS-1, we find more VNS::SYS-1 in distal than proximal SGP daughters, a phenomenon we call “SYS-1 asymmetry.” In addition, SYS-1 asymmetry is seen in many other tissues, consistent with the idea that SYS-1 regulates asymmetric divisions broadly during C. elegans development. In particular, SYS-1 is more abundant in E than MS, and SYS-1 is critical for the endodermal fate. In all cases, SYS-1 is reciprocal to POP-1 asymmetry: cells with higher SYS-1 have lower POP-1, and vice versa. SYS-1 asymmetry is controlled posttranslationally and relies on frizzled and dishevelled homologs, which also control POP-1 asymmetry. Therefore, upstream regulators modulate the SYS-1 to POP-1 ratio by increasing SYS-1 and decreasing POP-1 within the same cell. By contrast, SYS-1 asymmetry does not rely on WRM-1, which appears specialized for POP-1 asymmetry. We suggest a two-pronged pathway for control of SYS-1:POP-1, which can robustly accomplish differential gene expression in daughters of an asymmetric cell division.

asymmetric cell division

Biological Sciences

dishevelled

frizzled

MAPK signaling

Wnt

Details

Title: Subtitle: Reciprocal asymmetry of SYS-1/Î²-catenin and POP-1/TCF controls asymmetric divisions in Caenorhabditis elegans
Creators: Bryan T Phillips - Departments of Biochemistry and
Ambrose R Kidd - Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706; and
Ryan King - Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706; and
Jeff Hardin - Zoology and Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706; and
Judith Kimble - Departments of Biochemistry and Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706; and The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Wisconsin, 433 Babcock Drive, Madison, WI 53706
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS, Vol.104(9), pp.3231-3236
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0611507104
PMID: 17296929
PMCID: PMC1796998
NLM abbreviation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
ISSN: 0027-8424
eISSN: 1091-6490
Publisher: National Academy of Sciences
Language: English
Date published: 02/27/2007
Academic Unit: Biology
Record Identifier: 9984217539402771

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