Document Detail


HLH-14 is a C. elegans achaete-scute protein that promotes neurogenesis through asymmetric cell division.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  14627726     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Achaete-Scute basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins promote neurogenesis during metazoan development. In this study, we characterize a C. elegans Achaete-Scute homolog, HLH-14. We find that a number of neuroblasts express HLH-14 in the C. elegans embryo, including the PVQ/HSN/PHB neuroblast, a cell that generates the PVQ interneuron, the HSN motoneuron and the PHB sensory neuron. hlh-14 mutants lack all three of these neurons. The fact that HLH-14 promotes all three classes of neuron indicates that C. elegans proneural bHLH factors may act less specifically than their fly and mammalian homologs. Furthermore, neural loss in hlh-14 mutants results from a defect in an asymmetric cell division: the PVQ/HSN/PHB neuroblast inappropriately assumes characteristics of its sister cell, the hyp7/T blast cell. We argue that bHLH proteins, which control various aspects of metazoan development, can control cell fate choices in C. elegans by regulating asymmetric cell divisions. Finally, a reduction in the function of hlh-2, which encodes the C. elegans E/Daughterless bHLH homolog, results in similar neuron loss as hlh-14 mutants and enhances the effects of partially reducing hlh-14 function. We propose that HLH-14 and HLH-2 act together to specify neuroblast lineages and promote neuronal fate.
Authors:
C Andrew Frank; Paul D Baum; Gian Garriga
Related Documents :
11308296 - Changes in the t cell receptor macromolecular signaling complex and membrane microdomai...
17207856 - Btk regulates multiple stages in the development and survival of b-1 cells.
15707896 - A transient cell cycle shift in drosophila imaginal disc cells precedes multipotency.
17257056 - Jagged2a-notch signaling mediates cell fate choice in the zebrafish pronephric duct.
19513526 - The effect of mg132, a proteasome inhibitor on hela cells in relation to cell growth, r...
21544696 - A novel method to produce immobilised biomolecular concentration gradients to study cel...
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.     Date:  2003-11-19
Journal Detail:
Title:  Development (Cambridge, England)     Volume:  130     ISSN:  0950-1991     ISO Abbreviation:  Development     Publication Date:  2003 Dec 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2003-12-08     Completed Date:  2004-04-16     Revised Date:  2007-11-14    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8701744     Medline TA:  Development     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  6507-18     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3204, USA.
Export Citation:
APA/MLA Format     Download EndNote     Download BibTex
MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Amino Acid Sequence
Animals
Animals, Genetically Modified
Base Sequence
Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
Body Patterning / genetics
Caenorhabditis elegans / embryology*
Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / genetics,  metabolism*
Cell Division / physiology
Conserved Sequence
DNA Primers
Embryo, Nonmammalian / physiology
Gene Deletion
Helix-Loop-Helix Motifs
Molecular Sequence Data
Motor Neurons / cytology,  physiology
Multigene Family
Nervous System / cytology,  embryology*
Neurons / cytology,  physiology
Neurons, Afferent / cytology,  physiology
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Sequence Alignment
Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
Transcription Factors / genetics,  metabolism
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
NS42213/NS/NINDS NIH HHS
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors; 0/Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; 0/DNA Primers; 0/HLH-14 protein, C elegans; 0/HLH-2 protein, C elegans; 0/Transcription Factors

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


Previous Document:  Retinoic acid regulates endothelial cell proliferation during vasculogenesis.
Next Document:  Sequence dependence of beta-hairpin structure: comparison of a salt bridge and an aromatic interacti...