The DAF-3 Smad protein antagonizes TGF-beta-related receptor signaling in the Caenorhabditis elegans dauer pathway.

ABSTRACT: Signals from TGF-beta superfamily receptors are transduced to the nucleus by Smad proteins, which transcriptionally activate target genes. In Caenorhabditis elegans, defects in a TGF-beta-related pathway cause a reversible developmental arrest and metabolic shift at the dauer larval stage. Null mutations in daf-3 suppress mutations in genes encoding this TGF-beta signal, its receptors, and associated Smad signal transduction proteins. daf-3 encodes a Smad protein that is most closely related to mammalian DPC4, and is expressed throughout development in many of the tissues that are remodeled during dauer development. DAF-4, the type II TGF-beta receptor in this pathway, is also expressed in remodeled tissues. These data suggest that the DAF-7 signal from sensory neurons acts as a neuroendoc

SUBMITTER: Patterson GI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC316611 | biostudies-literature | 1997 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature