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A conserved RNA-binding protein that regulates sexual fates in the C. elegans hermaphrodite germ line

Nature volume 390, pages 477–484 (1997)Cite this article

Abstract

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has two sexes, males and hermaphrodites. Hermaphrodites initially produce sperm but switch to producing oocytes. This switch appears to be controlled by the 3′ untranslated region of fem-3 messenger RNA. We have now identified a binding factor (FBF) which is a cytoplasmic protein that binds specifically to the regulatory region of fem-3 3′UTR and mediates the sperm/oocyte switch. The RNA-binding domain of FBF consists of a stretch of eight tandem repeats and two short flanking regions. This structural element is conserved in several proteins including Drosophila Pumilio, a regulatory protein that controls pattern formation in the fly by binding to a 3′UTR. We propose that FBF and Pumilio are members of a widespread family of sequence-specific RNA-binding proteins.

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Figure 1: Phenotypes and gain-of-function alleles of fem-3.
Figure 2: Isolation and sequence of FBF-1 and FBF-2.
Figure 3: fbf mRNA and protein.
Figure 6: A family of related proteins containing multiple Puf repeats.
Figure 4: Tests of fbf function.
Figure 5: Positioning fbf in the sex determination pathway.
Figure 7: Comparison of regulation by FBF and Pumilio.

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Acknowledgements

We thank R. Lehmann, C. Mello, J. Priess, R. Wharton and J. Williamson for communicating results before publication and for discussion; P. Anderson for comments on the manuscript; R. Barstead for C. elegans cDNA libraries; A. Coulson for YAC grids; the C. elegans sequencing consortium for unpublished genomic sequences; S. Ward for anti-sperm antibodies; and U.W. Biochemistry Media Laboratory for help with preparing the figures. DNA sequencing was performed at the UW Biotechnology Center. This work was supported by grants from the NIH to J.K. and M.W., from the NSF Science and Technology Center (Seattle) to S.F. and M.W., and by EMBO and Fonds National Suisse fellowships to A.P., J.K. and S.F. are investigators with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

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Author notes

  1. Beilin Zhang, Maria Gallegos and Judith Kimble: These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA

    Beilin Zhang, Maria Gallegos, Alessandro Puoti, Eileen Durkin, Judith Kimble & Marvin P. Wickens

  2. Departments of Genetics and Medicine, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of WashingtonSeattle, 98195, USA

    Stanley Fields

  3. Department of Medical Genetics and Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of WisconsinMadison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA

    Judith Kimble

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Correspondence to Marvin P. Wickens.

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Zhang, B., Gallegos, M., Puoti, A. et al. A conserved RNA-binding protein that regulates sexual fates in the C. elegans hermaphrodite germ line. Nature 390, 477–484 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/37297

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