Abstract
The ces-1 and ces-2 genes of C. elegans control the programmed deaths of specific neurons. Genetic evidence suggests that ces-2 functions to kill these neurons by negatively regulating the protective activity of ces-1, ces-2 encodes a protein closely related to the vertebrate PAR family of bZIP transcription factors, and a ces-2/ces-1-like pathway may play a role in regulating programmed cell death in mammalian lymphocytes. Here we show that ces-1 encodes a Snail family zinc finger protein, most similar in sequence to the Drosophila neuronal differentiation protein Scratch. We define an element important for ces-1 regulation and provide evidence that CES-2 can bind to a site within this element and thus may directly repress ces-1 transcription. Our results suggest that a transcriptional cascade controls the deaths of specific cells in C. elegans.
Publication types
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Comparative Study
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Alleles
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Animals
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Base Sequence
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Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors
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Binding Sites
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Caenorhabditis / genetics
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Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics*
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins*
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Cell Death / genetics*
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Cloning, Molecular
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DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics*
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DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
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Gene Expression Regulation
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Genes, Helminth*
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Helminth Proteins / genetics
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Helminth Proteins / metabolism
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Neurons / physiology*
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Phenotype
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Protein Binding
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Restriction Mapping
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Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
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Snail Family Transcription Factors
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Species Specificity
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Transcription Factors / genetics*
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Transcription Factors / metabolism
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Zinc Fingers / genetics*
Substances
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Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors
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CES-2 protein, C elegans
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
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DNA-Binding Proteins
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Helminth Proteins
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Snail Family Transcription Factors
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Transcription Factors
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ces-1 protein, C elegans
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sna protein, Drosophila
Associated data
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GENBANK/AF169201
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GENBANK/AF176377