Scientific article
English

Heterotrimeric G protein signaling functions with dynein to promote spindle positioning in C. elegans

Published inThe Journal of cell biology, vol. 179, no. 1, p. 15-22
Publication date2007
Abstract

Proper orientation and positioning of the mitotic spindle is essential for the correct segregation of fate determinants during asymmetric cell division. Although heterotrimeric G proteins and their regulators are essential for spindle positioning in many cell types, their mechanism of action remains unclear. In this study, we show that dyrb-1, which encodes a dynein light chain, provides a functional link between heterotrimeric G protein signaling and dynein activity during spindle positioning in Caenorhabditis elegans. Embryos depleted of dyrb-1 display phenotypes similar to a weak loss of function of dynein activity, indicating that DYRB-1 is a positive regulator of dynein. We find that the depletion of dyrb-1 enhances the spindle positioning defect of weak loss of function alleles of two regulators of G protein signaling, LIN-5 and GPR-1/2, and that DYRB-1 physically associates with these two proteins. These results indicate that dynein activity functions with regulators of G protein signaling to regulate common downstream effectors during spindle positioning in the early C. elegans embryo.

Keywords
  • Animals
  • Caenorhabditis elegans/genetics/ metabolism/ultrastructure
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors/metabolism/ physiology
  • Dyneins/antagonists & inhibitors/ metabolism/physiology
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/metabolism/ultrastructure
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins/analysis
  • Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins/metabolism/ physiology
  • Mitotic Spindle Apparatus/ metabolism/ultrastructure
  • Models, Biological
  • RNA Interference
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins/analysis
  • Signal Transduction
Citation (ISO format)
COUWENBERGS, Claudia et al. Heterotrimeric G protein signaling functions with dynein to promote spindle positioning in C. elegans. In: The Journal of cell biology, 2007, vol. 179, n° 1, p. 15–22. doi: 10.1083/jcb.200707085
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Identifiers
Journal ISSN0021-9525
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