A BMP homolog acts as a dose-dependent regulator of body size and male tail patterning in Caenorhabditis elegans

• Published in: Development (Cambridge) Vol. 126; no. 2; pp. 241 - 250
• Main Authors: Suzuki, Y, Yandell, M D, Roy, P J, Krishna, S, Savage-Dunn, C, Ross, R M, Padgett, R W, Wood, W B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England The Company of Biologists Limited 01-01-1999
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Base Sequence; Body Constitution - genetics; Body Patterning - genetics; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins - genetics; Caenorhabditis elegans; Caenorhabditis elegans - embryology; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; Cloning, Molecular; Disorders of Sex Development - genetics; Epistasis, Genetic; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental - genetics; Genes, Reporter - genetics; Genitalia - growth & development; Male; Molecular Sequence Data; Mutation - genetics; Neurons - metabolism; Neuropeptides - genetics; Phenotype; Phylogeny; RNA, Messenger - genetics; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Tail - growth & development; Transforming Growth Factor beta
• ISSN: 0950-1991; 1477-9129
• DOI: 10.1242/DEV.126.2.241

We cloned the dbl-1 gene, a C. elegans homolog of Drosophila decapentaplegic and vertebrate BMP genes. Loss-of-function mutations in dbl-1 cause markedly reduced body size and defective male copulatory structures. Conversely, dbl-1 overexpression causes markedly increased body size and partly complementary male tail phenotypes, indicating that DBL-1 acts as a dose-dependent regulator of these processes. Evidence from genetic interactions indicates that these effects are mediated by a Smad signaling pathway, for which DBL-1 is a previously unidentified ligand. Our study of the dbl-1 expression pattern suggests a role for neuronal cells in global size regulation as well as male tail patterning.