Abstract
The synthetic multivulva (synMuv) genes define two functionally redundant pathways that antagonize RTK/Ras signaling during Caenorhabditis elegans vulval induction. The synMuv gene lin-35 encodes a protein similar to the mammalian tumor suppressor pRB and has been proposed to act as a transcriptional repressor. Studies using mammalian cells have shown that pRB can prevent cell cycle progression by inhibiting DP/E2F-mediated transcriptional activation. We identified C. elegans genes that encode proteins similar to DP or E2F. Loss-of-function mutations in two of these genes, dpl-1 DP and efl-1 E2F, caused the same vulval abnormalities as do lin-35 Rb loss-of-function mutations. We propose that rather than being inhibited by lin-35 Rb, dpl-1 DP and efl-1 E2F act with lin-35 Rb in transcriptional repression to antagonize RTK/Ras signaling during vulval development.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Animals
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Animals, Genetically Modified
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Caenorhabditis elegans / cytology
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Caenorhabditis elegans / embryology*
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Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics
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Caenorhabditis elegans / metabolism
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins*
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Cell Cycle Proteins*
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Cell Division
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Cell Lineage
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Cell Nucleus / metabolism
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Cloning, Molecular
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DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
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DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
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E2F Transcription Factors
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Female
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Gene Deletion
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Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
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Genes, Helminth / genetics
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Helminth Proteins / chemistry
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Helminth Proteins / genetics
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Helminth Proteins / metabolism*
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Membrane Glycoproteins
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Neurons / cytology
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Nuclear Proteins
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Phenotype
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Protein Binding
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Repressor Proteins / chemistry
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Repressor Proteins / genetics
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Repressor Proteins / metabolism*
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Signal Transduction*
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Transcription Factors / chemistry
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Transcription Factors / genetics
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Transcription Factors / metabolism*
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Vulva / cytology
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Vulva / embryology*
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Vulva / metabolism
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ras Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
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ras Proteins / metabolism
Substances
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
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Cell Cycle Proteins
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DNA-Binding Proteins
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E2F Transcription Factors
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EFF-1 protein, C elegans
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ELF1 protein, human
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Elf1 protein, mouse
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Helminth Proteins
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Membrane Glycoproteins
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Nuclear Proteins
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Repressor Proteins
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Transcription Factors
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dpl-1 protein, C elegans
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efl-1 protein, C elegans
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lin-35 protein, C elegans
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ras Proteins
Associated data
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GENBANK/AY028165
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GENBANK/AY028166
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GENBANK/AY028167