Project description:We asked if the perinuclear position of chromosome arms in C. elegans depends on the histone methyltransferases MET-2 and SET-25. To this end, we performed LMN-1-DamID in wild-type (N2) and mutant (set-25 met-2) strains. LMN-1-DamID signal on chromosome arms was significantly reduced in the mutant.
Project description:We asked if the perinuclear position of chromosome arms in C. elegans depends on the histone methyltransferases MET-2 and SET-25. To this end, we performed LMN-1-DamID in wild-type (N2) and mutant (set-25 met-2) strains. LMN-1-DamID signal on chromosome arms was significantly reduced in the mutant. Three biological replicas were performed for each genotype. For one replica dyes were swapped. For each replica methylated DNA amplified from a strain expressing LMN-1-Dam was competitively hybridized against DNA amplified from a strain expressing GFP-Dam.
Project description:Investigation of whole genome gene expression level changes in early generation Caenorhabditis elegans Bristol N2 rsd-2 and Bristol N2 rsd-6 single mutants, compared to late-generation strains at 25°C and 20°C
Project description:One of the most abundant RNA modifications is N6-methyladenosine (m6A). RNA from all forms of life, including viruses, contain m6A. This modification has been detected in many types of RNAs, such as mRNA, ribosomal RNA, long non-coding RNAs, small nuclear RNAs and microRNAs. Diverse set of proteins have been characterized to methylate, demethylate and specifically bind to this modification in different organisms. C. elegans is a unique model organism with abundant m6A modification, although its genome does not code for orthologs of the well characterized m6A methyltransferase METTL3/METTL14 complex or the demethylases FTO or ALKBH5. Furthermore, orthologs of the YTH family m6A reader proteins seem to be absent from the worm genome as well. To gain insights into how this modification is installed in this organism, we set out to identify enzymes that contribute to the abundant level of m6A in C. elegans. We designed a targeted RNAi screen by which the expression of 22 candidate putative RNA methyltransferase genes are knocked down. We measured global RNA methylation level by HPLC-MS/MS analysis after two generations of RNAi-mediated knock down. The knock down of two candidate methyltransferases resulted in a decrease in global m6A level in total RNA. The first methyltransferase, F33A8.4, is an ortholog of the human ZCCHC4 gene. The second methyltransferase, C38D4.9, is an ortholog of the human METTL5 gene. In order to determine if ZCCHC4 or METTL5 are involved in the deposition of m6A at the mRNA level, m6A-RIP-seq experiments were performed in mRNA derived from WT (N2), ZCCHC4 KO, METTL5 KO and ZCCHC4/METTL5 dKO C. elegans embryos.
