The 5'-3' exoribonuclease xrn-1 is essential for ventral epithelial enclosure during C. elegans embryogenesis.

ABSTRACT: Ribonucleases have been studied in yeast and bacteria, but their biological significance to multicellular organisms is virtually unknown. However, there is increasing evidence that specific, timed transcript degradation is critical for regulation of many cellular processes, including early development and RNA interference. In this report we have investigated the effects of the 5'-3' exoribonuclease xrn-1 on the development of the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans. Silencing of xrn-1 expression using RNA interference results in embryos that fail to complete ventral enclosure, where the outer layer of cells normally closes over the mesoderm in a purse-string movement. Our data suggest that xrn-1 is involved in a critical aspect of epithelial movement and reveal an unexpected link between

SUBMITTER: Newbury S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1370518 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature