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First published online 18 February 2004
doi: 10.1242/dev.01002

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C. elegans pro-1 activity is required for soma/germline interactions that influence proliferation and differentiation in the germ line

Department of Biology New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA

^* Author for correspondence (e-mail: jane.hubbard{at}nyu.edu)

Accepted 25 November 2003

Strict spatial and temporal regulation of proliferation and differentiation is essential for proper germline development and often involves soma/germline interactions. In C. elegans, a particularly striking outcome of defective regulation of the proliferation/differentiation pattern is the Pro phenotype in which an ectopic mass of proliferating germ cells occupies the proximal adult germ line, a region normally occupied by gametes. We describe a reduction-of-function mutation in the gene pro-1 that causes a highly penetrant Pro phenotype. The pro-1 mutant Pro phenotype stems from defects in the time and position of the first meiotic entry during early germline development. pro-1(RNAi) produces a loss of somatic gonad structures and concomitant reduction in germline proliferation and gametogenesis. pro-1 encodes a member of a highly conserved subfamily of WD-repeat proteins. pro-1(+) is required in the sheath/spermatheca lineage of the somatic gonad in its role in the proper establishment of the proliferation/differentiation pattern in the germline. Our results provide a handle for further analysis of this soma-to-germline interaction.

Key words: Germline, Meiosis, Proliferation, Somatic gonad, C. elegans

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