High impact information on fog-3

• First, northern analyses and RT-PCR experiments indicate that expression of fog-3 is controlled by tra-1 [1].
• TRA-1A regulates transcription of fog-3, which controls germ cell fate in C. elegans [1].
• One mutation causes a frame shift at the sixth codon and is thus likely to define the null phenotype of fog-3 [2].
• Northern analyses and RT-PCR data reveal that the expression of fog-3 is always correlated with spermatogenesis [3].
• We have identified and characterized the gene fog-3, which is required for germ cells to differentiate as sperm rather than as oocytes [4].

Biological context of fog-3

• Analysis of double mutants suggests that fog-3 is absolutely required for spermatogenesis and acts at the end of the regulatory hierarchy controlling sex determination for the germ line [4].
• For example, fog-1 and fog-3 are required to initiate spermatogenesis and gld-1 appears to be required to initiate oogenesis [5].

References