Abstract
Early in the development of the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans , the vulva is composed of six precursor cells that have the potential to develop into one of three vulval cell fates, termed 1°, 2°, and 3°. The 1° and 2° fates are patterned through the cross-talk between two signaling pathways, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and the LIN-12/Notch pathway. Yoo and Greenwald (see the Perspective by Karp and Ambros) now show that a specific microRNA (miRNA), identified by a computational prediction analysis, is involved in specifying the 2° vulval cell fate. The miRNA mir-60 is a direct transcriptional target of LIN-12/Notch, and in turn, an ortholog of the oncogene Vav is the target of mir-60 . The regulatory circle is completed by the regulation of LIN-12 activity by Vav. A. S. Yoo, I. Greenwald, LIN-12/Notch activation leads to microRNA-mediated down-regulation of Vav in C. elegans. Science 310 , 1330-1333 (2005). [Abstract] [Full Text] X. Karp, V. Ambros, Encountering microRNAs in cell fate signaling. Science 310 , 1288-1289 (2005). [Summary] [Full Text]
Published Version
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