Malini Jagdeo et al. (2001) International C. elegans Meeting "NOVEL HELIX-LOOP-HELIX PROTEINS IN CAENORHABDITIS ELEGANS."

Malini Jagdeo, Tracee McMiller, Casonya M Johnson

[International C. elegans Meeting, 2001]

Helix-loop-helix (HLH) proteins are transcription factors that are involved in cellular specification, differentiation, and differential gene expression in development. Normal pancreatic functioning, brain and eye morphogenesis, and skeletal muscle development are just some aspects of human development that are regulated by HLH proteins. The nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, is an ideal model to study myogenic related HLH proteins since it has a simple genetic system and is known to produce numerous transcriptional regulators. After identifying six DNA sequences that are likely to encode myogenic HLH genes in C. elegans, we used RT-PCR, RNA interference, and promoter fusions to determine which of the genes are expressed, and the timing and localization of their expression. (Research supported by NSF grant # MCB9986640 and by MBRS/RISE grant # R25GM58094)

Tracee McMiller et al. (2001) International C. elegans Meeting "THE MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF NOVEL bHLH PROTEINS IN CAENORHABDITIS ELEGANS."

Casonya M Johnson, Tracee McMiller, Malini Jagdeo

[International C. elegans Meeting, 2001]

The helix-loop-helix (HLH) family of transcription factors is responsible for the expression of genes that regulate many aspects of development in eukaryotes including cellular differentiation and specification, morphogenesis, and growth. The nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, possesses many different transcription factors, including HLH proteins, many of which have been identified and characterized. Through Blast searches, we have identified putative HLH-encoding genes in the C. elegans genome, some of which are homologous, at varying degrees of identity and similarity, to members of the Achaete-Scute (As), Hairy-related (Hes), and Atonal-related (Ato) subfamilies regulating neurogenesis. While As and Ato-related proteins form heterodimers with ubiquitous HLH proteins in order to facilitate transcription, Hes proteins dimerize with universal HLH proteins to repress transcription of a target gene. We have sought to determine which of the hypothetical genes are expressed in wild-type C. elegans by RT-PCR and by Northern blotting, and to determine the spatial and temporal expression patterns using in situ hybridization. We have also performed RNA interference assays to assign a preliminary function to the genes that are expressed. (Supported by NSF grant MCB9986640 and by MBRS RISE grant R25GM58904)