Cis- and Trans-Regulatory Mechanisms of Gene Expression in the ASJ Sensory Neuron of Caenorhabditis elegans
Cis- and Trans-Regulatory Mechanisms of Gene Expression in the ASJ Sensory Neuron of Caenorhabditis elegans
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DOI：
10.1534/genetics.115.176172
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发表时间：
2015-05-01
期刊：
影响因子：
3.3
通讯作者：
Miranda-Vizuete, Antonio
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Gonzalez-Barrios, Maria;Fierro-Gonzalez, Juan Carlos;Miranda-Vizuete, Antonio
特定细胞类型的身份是由一组共享顺式调控基序的基因的表达决定的，这些基因受到共享转录因子的调节。在这里，我们确定了驱动位于秀丽隐杆线虫头部的双侧感觉神经元ASJ基因表达的顺式和反式调控元件。为此，我们解剖了迄今为止报道的仅在ASJ中表达的两个基因trx-1和ssu-1的启动子。我们在此鉴定出ASJ motif，这是一个功能性的顺式调控双部启动子区域，由两个独立的6 bp元件组成，由一个3 bp的连接子分隔。第一个元件是一个6 bp的富含cg的序列，可能与Sp家族成员锌指转录因子SPTF-1结合。有趣的是，在秀丽隐杆线虫的神经系统中，SPTF-1也被发现仅在ASJ神经元中表达，它调节这些神经元中其他基因的表达和ASJ细胞的命运。二部基序的第二个元素是一个6 bp的富含at的序列，预计可能结合同源盒家族的转录因子。总之，我们的研究结果确定了一个特定的启动子特征和SPTF-1作为转录因子，作为末端选择基因调节秀丽隐杆线虫ASJ感觉神经元的基因表达。
The identity of a given cell type is determined by the expression of a set of genes sharing common cis-regulatory motifs and being regulated by shared transcription factors. Here, we identify cis and trans regulatory elements that drive gene expression in the bilateral sensory neuron ASJ, located in the head of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. For this purpose, we have dissected the promoters of the only two genes so far reported to be exclusively expressed in ASJ, trx-1 and ssu-1. We hereby identify the ASJ motif, a functional cis-regulatory bipartite promoter region composed of two individual 6 bp elements separated by a 3 bp linker. The first element is a 6 bp CG-rich sequence that presumably binds the Sp family member zinc-finger transcription factor SPTF-1. Interestingly, within the C. elegans nervous system SPTF-1 is also found to be expressed only in ASJ neurons where it regulates expression of other genes in these neurons and ASJ cell fate. The second element of the bipartite motif is a 6 bp AT-rich sequence that is predicted to potentially bind a transcription factor of the homeobox family. Together, our findings identify a specific promoter signature and SPTF-1 as a transcription factor that functions as a terminal selector gene to regulate gene expression in C. elegans ASJ sensory neurons.