The Nonmuscle Myosin Regulatory Light Chain Gene mlc-4 Is Required for Cytokinesis, Anterior-Posterior Polarity, and Body Morphology during Caenorhabditis elegans Embryogenesis

Using RNA-mediated genetic interference in a phenotypic screen, we identified a conserved nonmuscle myosin II regulatory light chain gene in Caenorhabditis elegans, which we name mlc-4. Maternally supplied mlc-4 function is required for cytokinesis during both meiosis and mitosis and for establishme...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of cell biology 1999-07, Vol.146 (2), p.439-451
Main Authors: Shelton, Christopher A., Carter, J. Clayton, Ellis, Gregory C., Bowerman, Bruce
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Actins
Animals
BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Body Patterning
Caenorhabditis elegans
Caenorhabditis elegans - cytology
Caenorhabditis elegans - embryology
Caenorhabditis elegans - genetics
cell biology
Cell Division
Cell Nucleus - metabolism
Cell Polarity
Cell Size
Cells
Centrosome - metabolism
Cytokinesis
Cytoplasm - metabolism
Embryo, Nonmammalian - cytology
Embryo, Nonmammalian - metabolism
Embryonic cells
Embryonic Development
Embryos
Gene Deletion
Genes
Genes, Helminth - genetics
Genes, Helminth - physiology
Helminth Proteins - genetics
Helminth Proteins - physiology
Homozygote
interference
Larvae
microfilament proteins
Microfilaments
Mitotic spindle apparatus
Molecular biology
Morphogenesis
Muscular system
Myosins - genetics
Myosins - physiology
nonmuscle myosin II regulatory light chain
Organelles - metabolism
Original
P granules
Phenotype
Phenotypes
Proteins
Recombinant Fusion Proteins - biosynthesis
Recombinant Fusion Proteins - metabolism
Ribonucleic acid
RNA
RNA, Messenger - analysis
RNA, Messenger - genetics
RNA, Messenger - physiology
RNA-mediated
Worms
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Summary:Using RNA-mediated genetic interference in a phenotypic screen, we identified a conserved nonmuscle myosin II regulatory light chain gene in Caenorhabditis elegans, which we name mlc-4. Maternally supplied mlc-4 function is required for cytokinesis during both meiosis and mitosis and for establishment of anterior-posterior (a-p) asymmetries after fertilization. Reducing the function of mlc-4 or nmy-2, a nonmuscle myosin II gene, also leads to a loss of polarized cytoplasmic flow in the C. elegans zygote, supporting models in which cytoplasmic flow may be required to establish a-p differences. Germline P granule localization at the time of cytoplasmic flow is also lost in these embryos, although P granules do become localized to the posterior pole after the first mitosis. This result suggests that a mechanism other than cytoplasmic flow or mlc-4/nmy-2 activity can generate some a-p asymmetries in the C. elegans zygote. By isolating a deletion allele, we show that removing zygotic mlc-4 function results in an elongation phenotype during embryogenesis. An mlc-4/green fluorescent protein transgene is expressed in lateral rows of hypodermal cells and these cells fail to properly change shape in mlc-4 mutant animals during elongation.
ISSN:0021-9525
1540-8140
DOI:10.1083/jcb.146.2.439