PAB-1, a Caenorhabditis elegans poly(A)-binding protein, regulates mRNA metabolism in germline by interacting with CGH-1 and CAR-1

PLoS One. 2013 Dec 19;8(12):e84798. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084798. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Poly(A)-binding proteins are highly conserved among eukaryotes and regulate stability of mRNA and translation. Among C. elegans homologues, pab-1 mutants showed defects in germline mitotic proliferation. Unlike pab-1 mutants, pab-1 RNAi at every larval stage caused arrest of germline development at the following stage, indicating that pab-1 is required for the entire postembryonic germline development. This idea is supported by the observations that the mRNA level of pab-1 increased throughout postembryonic development and its protein expression was germline-enriched. PAB-1 localized to P granules and the cytoplasm in the germline. PAB-1 colocalized with CGH-1 and CAR-1 and affected their localization, suggesting that PAB-1 is a component of processing (P)-bodies that interacts with them. The mRNA and protein levels of representative germline genes, rec-8, GLP-1, rme-2, and msp-152, were decreased after pab-1 RNAi. Although the mRNA level of msp-152 was increased in cgh-1 mutant, it was also significantly reduced by pab-1 RNAi. Our results suggest that PAB-1 positively regulates the mRNA levels of germline genes, which is likely facilitated by the interaction of PAB-1 with other P-body components, CGH-1 and CAR-1.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blotting, Western
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism*
  • DNA Primers / genetics
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / physiology*
  • Germ Cells / metabolism*
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Poly(A)-Binding Protein I / genetics
  • Poly(A)-Binding Protein I / metabolism*
  • RNA Interference
  • RNA Nucleotidyltransferases / metabolism*
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism*
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

Substances

  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
  • Car-1 protein, C elegans
  • DNA Primers
  • Poly(A)-Binding Protein I
  • RNA, Messenger
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • RNA Nucleotidyltransferases
  • cgh-1 protein, C elegans