CGC Bibliography Paper 5226

Control of neuronal subtype identity by the C. elegans ARID protein CFI-1.

Shaham S, Bargmann CI

Medline:

11959845

Citation:

Genes & Development 16: 972-983 2002

Type:

ARTICLE

Genes:

ced-3 cfi-1 glr-1 glr-4 lin-31 lov-1 mec-4 nmr-1 odr-2 pkd-2 unc-86 qDf5

Abstract:

The Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodite nervous system is composed of 302 neurons that fall into at least 118 diverse classes. Here we describe cfi-1, a gene that contributes to the development of neutonal diversity. cfi-1 promotes appropriate differentiation of the URA sensory neurons and inhibits URA from expressing the male-specific CEM neuronal fate. The UNC-86 POU homeodomain protein is present in CEM and URA neurons, and can promote expression of CEM-specific genes in both CEM and URA, but CFI-1 inhibits expression of these genes in the URA cells. cfi-1 also promotes appropriate differentiation and glutamate receptor expression in the AVD and PVC interneurons. cfi-1 encodes a conserved neuron- and muscle-restricted DNA-binding protein containing an A/T rich interaction domain (ARID). ARID proteins regulate early patterning and muscle fate in Drosophila, but they have not previously been implicated in the control of neuronal subtype identity.