The Caenorhabditis elegans lin-12 gene encodes a transmembrane protein with overall similarity to Drosophila Notch

The notch gene product is a glycoprotein expressed on the cell surface of both epidermal and neuronal precursor cells during Drosophila development

The Notch locus of Drosophila melanogaster is one of a small number of zygotically acting "neurogenic" genes involved in the correct segregation of neural from epidermal lineages during embryogenesis as well as in other postembryonic developmental events. We have generated antibody probes against three regions of the Notch protein to study the expression of Notch and begin a biochemical characterization of the protein. Consistent with predictions based on DNA sequence data, here we gather evidence showing that Notch encodes a large, glycosylated surface protein with an apparent molecular mass of 300 kD: (a) all three antibodies detect Notch on Western blots as a high molecular mass, primarily full-length product; (b) immunoelectron microscopy localizes the Notch protein to the cell membrane; and (c) lentil lectin column binding demonstrates that the protein is glycosylated, indicative of its surface protein nature. In general, the distribution of the Notch protein coincides with that of the Notch transcript determined previously by in situ hybridizations. Notch is expressed in a much wider range of tissue types than those disrupted in the neurogenic mutant, as determined by antibody localization. Early labeling in the blastoderm appears ubiquitous except for the pole cells, but as development proceeds some distinctive features emerge: stronger staining is seen within the germ band layer where neuroblast delamination occurs, and the developing embryonic nervous system shows pronounced axonal staining. In third instar larvae, Notch is expressed in imaginal disks and in the central nervous system. Based on these results, certain models for how Notch controls the neuroblast cell fate choice are eliminated. We discuss how Notch may function in this choice as well as in other lineage fate determinations.

Structural analysis of the uEGF gene in the sea urchin strongylocentrotus purpuratus reveals more similarity to vertebrate than to invertebrate genes with EGF-like repeats

The gene uEGF, a member of the epidermal growth factor family in the sea urchin Stronglyocentrotus purpuratus, is known to express two transcripts that are regulated developmentally in the embryo. We have partially sequenced several uEGF genomic and cDNA clones. We suggest that the smaller transcript is the result of splicing out an internal region present in the larger mRNA, probably with eight EGF-like repeats. The predicted two uEGF products have a signal peptide followed by an EGF-like repeat and a region with approximately 120 amino acids homologous to domain III in complement component C1s. Following these domains, the short product has 12 tandem EGF-like repeats, whereas the long product has approximately 20 tandem repeats. At the carboxy terminus both products have a region homologous to avidin. Unlike Notch and lin-12, no transmembrane domain was found in uEGF. We also show here that uEGF shares two characteristics with vertebrate members of the EGF family, but not with invertebrate members of the same family. (1) All the EGF-like domains sequenced are represented by single exons. (2) All the introns sequenced follow the first nucleotide of a codon. This supports the hypothesis that the organization of the EGF-like domains in vertebrates and in uEGF derived from a common ancestor. Thus, an alternative molecular datum is provided to support the hypothesis of echinoderm-chordate relationships.

The combined action of two intercellular signaling pathways specifies three cell fates during vulval induction in C. elegans

Each of the six C. elegans vulval precursor cells (VPCs) has three potential fates (1 degree, 2 degrees, or 3 degrees). The fate of each VPC depends on two types of signals: a graded inductive signal that acts at a distance and a short-range lateral signal among the VPCs. We describe interactions among mutations that cause different misspecifications of VPC fates. Particular combinations of mutations cause all six VPCs to have a single fate independent of their positions. Our results suggest that specification of the three VPC fates is accomplished by two binary decisions, each effected by one of the two signaling pathways. The gene lin-12 acts in the lateral signaling pathway and specifies 2 degrees. The "vulvaless" and "multivulva" genes act in the inductive signaling pathway and specify 1 degree independently of lin-12 and 2 degrees via lin-12. We describe a model for the regulatory circuitry underlying VPC determination that includes a role for lin-12 in both autocrine and paracrine VPC signaling.

glp-1 and lin-12, genes implicated in distinct cell-cell interactions in C. elegans, encode similar transmembrane proteins

Genomic DNA closely related in sequence to lin-12, a gene that specifies certain cell fates during C. elegans development, was isolated from a C. elegans library by low stringency hybridization. DNA sequencing of genomic and cDNA clones predicts the new sequence to encode an integral membrane protein that shares three repeated amino acid sequence motifs with the lin-12 product and the Drosophila Notch product: an epidermal growth factor-like motif, the "lin-12/Notch Repeat," and a motif present in two yeast gene products that have cell cycle dependent functions. Austin and Kimble (see accompanying paper) present evidence that this sequence corresponds to glp-1, a gene implicated in cell-cell interactions distinct from those involving lin-12. Possible implications of the predicted structure of the glp-1 product with respect to these cell-cell interactions are discussed.

Transcript analysis of glp-1 and lin-12, homologous genes required for cell interactions during development of C. elegans

The glp-1 and lin-12 genes mediate several cell interactions during C. elegans development. We have identified the glp-1 gene in a region about 20 kb from lin-12. In collaboration with Yochem and Greenwald (1989; see accompanying paper), we show that a sequence identified by its similarity to lin-12 is in fact glp-1. We find a single 4.4 kb glp-1 transcript and a distinct 4.6 kb lin-12 transcript. Expression of the glp-1 transcript during development differs from that of lin-12. As expected from genetic analyses, glp-1 RNA is primarily in the germline while lin-12 RNA is primarily in the soma. Unexpectedly, we find that glp-1 RNA is also expressed in larval somatic tissues and that lin-12 RNA is abundant in early embryos. We suggest that glp-1 and lin-12 may play broader roles in development than previously thought.

Cell-cell interactions that specify certain cell fates in C. elegans development

Cell-cell interactions are important for several cell fate decisions during C. elegans development. Two genes, lin-12 and glp-1, encode similar predicted transmembrane proteins that are members of a potentially ubiquitous family of proteins that may mediate intercellular communication.

Notch is required for successive cell decisions in the developing Drosophila retina

Mutations in the Notch locus affect a variety of developmental decisions in Drosophila. In this paper, we examine the role of Notch in the developing retina. We reduced Notch activity at successive intervals during development of the retina, and then examined the effect on individual cells. When Notch activity was reduced, cells responded by selecting inappropriate developmental pathways. We found that all cell types appear to require Notch when establishing their fate. To examine further Notch's role in eye development, we examined two alleles of Notch--split and facet-glossy. split flies show defects in the initial clustering of photoreceptors, whereas the defects in facet-glossy flies are due to the misrouting of presumptive primary pigment cells into the secondary pigment cell pathway. Our results suggest that Notch plays a permissive role in the cell-cell interactions used to assemble the eye.

Cell autonomy of lin-12 function in a cell fate decision in C. elegans

The lin-12 gene of C. elegans encodes a predicted transmembrane protein that controls a decision by two cells, Z1.ppp and Z4.aaa, between the anchor cell (AC) and ventral uterine precursor cell (VU) fates. We performed laser ablation experiments to demonstrate that specification of the VU fate of Z1.ppp or Z4.aaa depends on an "AC-to-VU" signal from the presumptive AC. We generated genetic mosaics in which defined cells lacked lin-12 activity. By correlating the fates of Z1.ppp and Z4.aaa with the lin-12 genotype of nearly every cell in these mosaics, we conclude that lin-12 function is VU cell autonomous. We present a model in which lin-12 functions in the receiving mechanism for the "AC-to-VU" signal leading to the specification of the AC and VU fates of Z1.ppp and Z4.aaa.

Mouse lymph node homing receptor cDNA clone encodes a glycoprotein revealing tandem interaction domains

Isolation of a clone encoding the mouse lymph node homing receptor reveals a deduced protein with an unusual protein mosaic architecture, containing a separate carbohydrate-binding (lectin) domain, an epidermal growth factor-like (EGF) domain, and an extracellular precisely duplicated repeat unit, which preserves the motif seen in the homologous repeat structure of complement regulatory proteins and other proteins. The receptor molecule is potentially highly glycosylated, and contains an apparent transmembrane region. Analysis of messenger RNA transcripts reveals a predominantly lymphoid distribution in direct relation to the cell surface expression of the MEL-14 determinant, and the cDNA clone is shown to confer the MEL-14 epitope in heterologous cells. The many novel features, including ubiquitination, embodied in this single receptor molecule form the basis for numerous approaches to the study of cell-cell interactions.

Cell type expression mediated by cell cycle events, and signaled by mitogens and growth inhibitors

It is initially pointed out that the majority of factors that induce cell type expression in mature precursor cells are either mitogens or growth inhibitors. On the basis of available data, a theoretical model of regulation of cell type expression for each group of factors is proposed. In model A the mitogen affects the expression of cell type through the positive control of cell cycle progression, while in model B the growth inhibitor induces the negative control of cell cycle progression, which in its turn causes the cell type expression. In connection with those two models, various systems of cell type expression are classified into three groups. In model A systems, the cell lineage has an option of autotypic and allotypic cell types. The former is expressed in the absence of added mitogen, and the latter is expressed in its presence. In model B systems the cell lineage-specific cell type is expressed by the negative cell cycle control induced by the growth inhibitor. In model A-B systems both mitogen and inhibitor are needed in tandem for the expression of a cell type. The second major point made is that the expression of cell type follows the negative control of cell cycle progression even in model A systems. However, in this system the control occurs spontaneously. This suggests that the negative control is essential for cell type expression in all systems, and directly precedes the expression. In contrast, the positive control induced by exogenous mitogen is not required in the expression in model B systems or in that of autotypic cell types in model A systems. The third point is that on the basis of the hypothesis of replication-transcription coupling, proposed by Sauer and colleagues, it is speculated that the pattern of early-replicating genes may be functioning as the potential gene transcription pattern for cell type expression in precursor cells. If this pattern is perpetuated through cell generations, the original cell type specificity of the precursor cell lineage should be maintained. If this pattern is modified by the positive control of cell cycle progression in model A systems, the potential transcriptional pattern for the allotypic pathway may emerge. Furthermore, it is proposed that the realization of the potential pattern may depend on a signal, informing the completion of the negative control of cell cycle progression. Thus in all cell lineages, when the negative cell cycle control is completed, chromatin receives this signal, and the potential transcription pattern is converted into cell type differentiation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)