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Gene Review:

fog-1 - Protein FOG-1

Caenorhabditis elegans

Barton, M.K. et al., Thompson, B.E. et al., Schedl, T. et al., Jin, S.W. et al., Ellis, R.E. et al., et al.

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Disease relevance of fog-1

In contrast, the germ line of either a male or a hermaphrodite carrying a mutation of the fog-1 (feminization of the germ line) locus is sexually transformed: cells that would normally make sperm differentiate as oocytes [1].

High impact information on fog-1

Whereas fbf-1 fbf-2 double mutants make approximately 120 germ cells, fog-1; fbf-1 fbf-2 triple mutants make only approximately 10 germ cells [2].
Based on fog-1 dose effects, together with the gradient of FOG-1 protein abundance, we suggest that low FOG-1 promotes proliferation and high FOG-1 specifies spermatogenesis [2].
The fog-1 gene of Caenorhabditis elegans specifies that germ cells differentiate as sperm rather than as oocytes [3].
Finally, genetic assays reveal that fog-1 functions zygotically, that the small fog-1 transcript has no detectable function, and that missense mutations in fog-1 cause a dominant negative phenotype [4].
We also have characterized the null phenotype of fog-1, another gene required for spermatogenesis; we demonstrate that it too controls the sexual identity of germ cells but not of other tissues [5].

Biological context of fog-1

The fem genes and fog-1 are each essential for specification of spermatogenesis in both XX and XO animals. fog-2 acts as a positive regulator of the fem genes and fog-1 [6].
The tra-2 and tra-3 genes act as negative regulators of the fem genes and fog-1 to allow oogenesis [6].
All fog-1 alleles identified confer the same phenotype [1].
These include the fog-1 temperature sensitive period, which coincides in each sex with first entry into meiosis, and the phenotype of a fog-1; glp-1 double mutant [1].

Anatomical context of fog-1

The fog-1 mutations appear to reduce fog-1 function, indicating that the wild-type fog-1 product is required for specification of a germ cell as a spermatocyte [1].

Other interactions of fog-1

For example, fog-1 and fog-3 are required to initiate spermatogenesis and gld-1 appears to be required to initiate oogenesis [7].

References

fog-1, a regulatory gene required for specification of spermatogenesis in the germ line of Caenorhabditis elegans. Barton, M.K., Kimble, J. Genetics (1990) [Pubmed]
Dose-dependent control of proliferation and sperm specification by FOG-1/CPEB. Thompson, B.E., Bernstein, D.S., Bachorik, J.L., Petcherski, A.G., Wickens, M., Kimble, J. Development (2005) [Pubmed]
Regulation of cell fate in Caenorhabditis elegans by a novel cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding protein. Jin, S.W., Kimble, J., Ellis, R.E. Dev. Biol. (2001) [Pubmed]
In Caenorhabditis elegans, the RNA-binding domains of the cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding protein FOG-1 are needed to regulate germ cell fates. Jin, S.W., Arno, N., Cohen, A., Shah, A., Xu, Q., Chen, N., Ellis, R.E. Genetics (2001) [Pubmed]
The fog-3 gene and regulation of cell fate in the germ line of Caenorhabditis elegans. Ellis, R.E., Kimble, J. Genetics (1995) [Pubmed]
fog-2, a germ-line-specific sex determination gene required for hermaphrodite spermatogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans. Schedl, T., Kimble, J. Genetics (1988) [Pubmed]
Control of germ cell differentiation in Caenorhabditis elegans. Ellis, R.E., Kimble, J. Ciba Found. Symp. (1994) [Pubmed]

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