Role of Caenorhabditis elegans protein phosphatase type 1, CeGLC-7β,in metaphase to anaphase transition during embryonic development

Abstract

In Caenorhabditis elegans embryogenesis, phosphorylation events are critical to chromosomal changes. To investigate the dephosphorylation of chromosome behavior, we cloned and characterized the cDNA that encodes C. elegans protein phosphatase type 1 ( CeGLC-7β), which is composed of 333 amino acids. CeGLC-7β possesses a highly conserved amino acid sequence with mammalian and Drosophila protein phosphatase 1. Here, we report on the contribution of CeGLC-7β to the dephosphorylation of histone H3 at anaphase. At the embryonic stage, CeGLC-7β is associated with the nuclear membrane and chromosomes. The deletion of the Ceglc-7β gene and a microinjection of double-stranded RNA produce a disorganized embryogenesis. The Ceglc-7β gene mutation causes an abnormal accumulation of phosphorylated histone H3 and delays the mitotic process after anaphase. We propose that CeGLC-7β is involved in chromosome dynamics including histone H3 dephosphorylation.