The Polycomb group in Caenorhabditis elegans and maternal control of germline development

• DOI: 10.1242/dev.125.13.2469
• Publication Date: 2021-04-26T03:15:21Z
• Authors: Ian Korf; Yuan Fan; Susan Strome
• Keywords: Polycomb-group proteins

ABSTRACT Four Caenorhabditis elegans genes, mes-2, mes-3, mes-4 and mes-6, are essential for normal proliferation viability of the germline. Mutations in these genes cause a maternal-effect sterile (i.e. mes) or grandchildless phenotype. We report that mes-6 gene is an unusual operon, second example this type operon C. elegans, encodes nematode homolog Extra sex combs, WD-40 protein Polycomb group Drosophila. mes-2 another (see paper by Holdeman, R., Nehrt, S. Strome, (1998). Development 125, 2457-2467). Consistent with known role proteins regulating expression, MES-6 nuclear protein. It enriched germline larvae adults present all nuclei early embryos. Molecular epistasis results predict MES proteins, like Drosophila, function as complex to regulate expression. Database searches reveal there considerably fewer than Drosophila vertebrates, our studies suggest their primary controlling expression ensuring survival tissue.