SKR-1, a homolog of Skp1 and a member of the SCF(SEL-10) complex, regulates sex-determination and LIN-12/Notch signaling in C. elegans

Dev Biol. 2008 Oct 15;322(2):322-31. doi: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2008.07.035. Epub 2008 Aug 7.

Abstract

Sex-determination in Caenorhabditis elegans requires regulation of gene transcription and protein activity and stability. sel-10 encodes a WD40-repeat-containing F-box protein that likely mediates the ubiquitin-mediated degradation of important sex-determination factors. Loss of sel-10 results in a mild masculinization of hermaphrodites, whereas dominant alleles of sel-10, such as sel-10(n1074), cause a more severe masculinization, including a reversal of the life versus death decision in sex-specific neurons. To investigate about how sel-10 regulates sex-determination, we conducted a sel-10(n1074) suppressor screen and isolated a weak loss-of-function allele of skr-1, one of 21 Skp1-related genes in C. elegans. Skp1, Cullin, and F-box proteins, such as SEL-10, are components of the SCF E3 ubiquitin-ligase complex. We present genetic evidence that the sel-10(n1074) masculinization phenotype is dependent upon skr-1 and cul-1 activity. Furthermore, we show that the SKR-1(M140I) weak loss-of-function mutation interferes with SKR-1/SEL-10 binding. Unexpectedly, we found that the G567E substitution in SEL-10 caused by the n1074 allele impairs the binding of SEL-10 to SKR-1 and the dimerization of SEL-10, which may be important for SEL-10 function. Our results suggest that SKR-1, CUL-1 and SEL-10 constitute an SCF E3 ligase complex that plays an important role in modulating sex-determination and LIN-12/Notch signaling in C. elegans.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / physiology*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / genetics
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / genetics
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cullin Proteins / metabolism
  • Dimerization
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation, Missense
  • Neurons / physiology
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism*
  • Receptors, Notch / metabolism*
  • SKP Cullin F-Box Protein Ligases / genetics
  • SKP Cullin F-Box Protein Ligases / metabolism*
  • Sex Determination Processes*
  • Signal Transduction
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligase Complexes

Substances

  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Cullin 1
  • Cullin Proteins
  • Lin-12 protein, C elegans
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Receptors, Notch
  • SEL-10 protein, C elegans
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligase Complexes
  • skp-1 protein, C elegans
  • SKP Cullin F-Box Protein Ligases
  • SKR-1 protein, C elegans