Abstract
The switch from spermatogenesis to oogenesis in the Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodite requires mog-6, which post-transcriptionally represses the fem-3 RNA. In this study, we show that mog-6 codes for a divergent nuclear cyclophilin, in that a conserved domain is not required for its function in the sperm-oocyte switch. MOG-6 binds to the nuclear zinc finger protein MEP-1 through two separate domains that are essential for the role of MOG-6 in the sperm-oocyte switch. We propose that MOG-6 has a function distinct from that of prevailing cyclophilins and that its binding to MEP-1 is essential for germline sex determination. Finally, we found that gld-3 mog-6 mutants develop germline tumors, suggesting that mog-6 might function in the decision between mitosis and meiosis.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Animals
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Binding Sites
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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 Proteins / genetics*
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism*
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Cloning, Molecular
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Conserved Sequence
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Cyclophilins / chemistry
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Cyclophilins / genetics*
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Cyclophilins / metabolism
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Cyclosporine / metabolism
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Disorders of Sex Development / genetics
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Meiosis
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Oocytes / physiology
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RNA Helicases / genetics*
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Sequence Alignment
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Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
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Sex Determination Processes
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Spermatogenesis / genetics
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Transcription Factors / genetics*
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Transcription Factors / metabolism*
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Zinc Fingers
Substances
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
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MEP-1 protein, C elegans
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Transcription Factors
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Cyclosporine
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RNA Helicases
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Cyclophilins
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cyn-4 protein, C elegans