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Title
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par-6, a gene involved in the establishment of asymmetry in early C. elegans embryos, mediates the asymmetric localization of PAR-3.
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Authors
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J.L.Watts,
B.Etemad-Moghadam,
S.Guo,
L.Boyd,
B.W.Draper,
C.C.Mello,
J.R.Priess,
K.J.Kemphues.
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Ref.
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Development, 1996,
122,
3133-3140.
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PubMed id
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Abstract
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The generation of asymmetry in the one-cell embryo of Caenorhabditis elegans is
necessary to establish the anterior-posterior axis and to ensure the proper
identity of early blastomeres. Maternal-effect lethal mutations with a
partitioning defective phenotype (par) have identified several genes involved in
this process. We have identified a new gene, par-6, which acts in conjunction
with other par genes to properly localize cytoplasmic components in the early
embryo. The early phenotypes of par-6 embryos include the generation of
equal-sized blastomeres, improper localization of P granules and SKN-1 protein,
and abnormal second division cleavage patterns. Overall, this phenotype is very
similar to that caused by mutations in a previously described gene, par-3. The
probable basis for this similarity is revealed by our genetic and
immunolocalization results; par-6 acts through par-3 by localizing or
maintaining the PAR-3 protein at the cell periphery. In addition, we find that
loss-of-function par-6 mutations act as dominant bypass suppressors of
loss-of-function mutations in par-2.
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