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Determining Genetic Expression Profiles in C. elegans Using Microarray and Real-time PCR
Published on: July 30, 2011
ALG-1, a microRNA argonaute, promotes vulva induction in C. elegans
Sunny Zhen1, Christian E Rocheleau2,3
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Waterloo.
Abstract:
Signaling by the LET-60 Ras GTPase/ MPK-1 Extracellular Regulated Kinase pathway specifies the vulva cell fate in C. elegans . The let-7 miRNA family negatively regulates LET-60 Ras but other miRNAs can also modulate vulva induction. To determine the impact of globally reducing miRNA function on LET-60 Ras-mediated vulva induction we analyzed the effect of loss of the ALG-1 miRNA regulator on vulva development . Contrary to our expectations, we find that ALG-1 promotes vulva induction independently of LET-60 Ras. We found that the reduced vulva cell fate induction of alg-1 deletion mutants could be due to delayed development of the vulva, or a requirement to maintain the competence of the uninduced precursor cells.
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