| First Author | Wu J | Year | 2001 |
| Journal | Genes Dev | Volume | 15 |
| Issue | 6 | Pages | 789-802 |
| PubMed ID | 11274062 | Mgi Jnum | J:68357 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:1932602 | Doi | 10.1101/gad.857401 |
| Citation | Wu J, et al. (2001) Inhibition of touch cell fate by egl-44 and egl-46 in C. elegans. Genes Dev 15(6):789-802 |
| abstractText | In wild-type Caenorhabditis elegans, six cells develop as receptors for gentle touch. In egl-44 and egl-46 mutants, two other neurons, the FLP cells, express touch receptor-like features. egl-44 and egl-46 also affect the differentiation of other neurons including the HSN neurons, two cells needed for egg laying. egl-44 encodes a member of the transcription enhancer factor family. The product of the egl-46 gene, two Drosophila proteins, and two proteins in human and mice define a new family of zinc finger proteins. Both egl-44 and egl-46 are expressed in FLP and HSN neurons (and other cells); expression of egl-46 is dependent on egl-44 in the FLP cells but not in the HSN cells. Wild-type touch cells express egl-46 but not egl-44. Moreover, ectopic expression of egl-44 in the touch cells prevents touch cell differentiation in an egl-46-dependent manner. The sequences of these genes and their nuclear location as seen with GFP fusions indicate that they repress transcription of touch cell characteristics in the FLP cells. |
