RRC ID 76326
Author Webster AK, Chitrakar R, Taylor SM, Baugh LR.
Title Alternative somatic and germline gene-regulatory strategies during starvation-induced developmental arrest.
Journal Cell Rep
Abstract Nutrient availability governs growth and quiescence, and many animals arrest development when starved. Using C. elegans L1 arrest as a model, we show that gene expression changes deep into starvation. Surprisingly, relative expression of germline-enriched genes increases for days. We conditionally degrade the large subunit of RNA polymerase II using the auxin-inducible degron system and analyze absolute expression levels. We find that somatic transcription is required for survival, but the germline maintains transcriptional quiescence. Thousands of genes are continuously transcribed in the soma, though their absolute abundance declines, such that relative expression of germline transcripts increases given extreme transcript stability. Aberrantly activating transcription in starved germ cells compromises reproduction, demonstrating important physiological function of transcriptional quiescence. This work reveals alternative somatic and germline gene-regulatory strategies during starvation, with the soma maintaining a robust transcriptional response to support survival and the germline maintaining transcriptional quiescence to support future reproductive success.
Volume 41(2)
Pages 111473
Published 2022-10-11
DOI 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111473
PII S2211-1247(22)01323-7
PMID 36223742
PMC PMC9608353
MeSH Animals Caenorhabditis elegans / physiology Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins* / genetics Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins* / metabolism Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental Germ Cells / metabolism Indoleacetic Acids / metabolism RNA Polymerase II / genetics RNA Polymerase II / metabolism Starvation* / metabolism
Resource
C.elegans tm1978 tm4578