Abstract
hunchback regulates the temporal identity of neuroblasts in Drosophila. Here we show that hbl-1, the C. elegans hunchback ortholog, also controls temporal patterning. Furthermore, hbl-1 is a probable target of microRNA regulation through its 3'UTR. hbl-1 loss-of-function causes the precocious expression of adult seam cell fates. This phenotype is similar to loss-of-function of lin-41, a known target of the let-7 microRNA. Like lin-41 mutations, hbl-1 loss-of-function partially suppresses a let-7 mutation. The hbl-1 3'UTR is both necessary and sufficient to downregulate a reporter gene during development, and the let-7 and lin-4 microRNAs are both required for HBL-1/GFP downregulation. Multiple elements in the hbl-1 3'UTR show complementarity to regulatory microRNAs, suggesting that microRNAs directly control hbl-1. MicroRNAs may likewise function to regulate Drosophila hunchback during temporal patterning of the nervous system.
Publication types
- Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
- 3' Untranslated Regions / genetics
- 3' Untranslated Regions / metabolism
- Alleles
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- Base Sequence
- Body Patterning*
- Caenorhabditis elegans / embryology*
- Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics
- Caenorhabditis elegans / metabolism
- Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / genetics*
- Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism*
- Cell Lineage
- DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics*
- DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
- Down-Regulation
- Drosophila Proteins / genetics*
- Drosophila Proteins / metabolism*
- Exons
- Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
- Introns
- MicroRNAs / genetics
- MicroRNAs / metabolism*
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Mutation
- RNA Interference
- Repressor Proteins / metabolism
- Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
- Time Factors
- Transcription Factors / genetics*
- Transcription Factors / metabolism*
Substances
- 3' Untranslated Regions
- Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
- DNA-Binding Proteins
- Drosophila Proteins
- LIN-29 protein, C elegans
- MicroRNAs
- Repressor Proteins
- Transcription Factors
- hb protein, Drosophila
- hbl-1protein, C elegans
- lin-4 microRNA, C elegans