Dose-dependent action of the RNA binding protein FOX-1 to relay X-chromosome number and determine C. elegans sex.

ABSTRACT: We demonstrate how RNA binding protein FOX-1 functions as a dose-dependent X-signal element to communicate X-chromosome number and thereby determine nematode sex. FOX-1, an RNA recognition motif protein, triggers hermaphrodite development in XX embryos by causing non-productive alternative pre-mRNA splicing of xol-1, the master sex-determination switch gene that triggers male development in XO embryos. RNA binding experiments together with genome editing demonstrate that FOX-1 binds to multiple GCAUG and GCACG motifs in a xol-1 intron, causing intron retention or partial exon deletion, thereby eliminating male-determining XOL-1 protein. Transforming all motifs to GCAUG or GCACG permits accurate alternative splicing, demonstrating efficacy of both motifs. Mutating subsets of both motifs par

SUBMITTER: Farboud B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7787662 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature