High impact information on elt-3

• In the present paper, we show that either elt-3 or elt-1 is sufficient, when force expressed in early embryonic blastomeres, to activate a program of hypodermal differentiation even in blastomeres that are not hypodermal precursors in wild-type embryos [1].
• We have deleted the elt-3 gene and shown that ELT-3 is not essential for either hypodermal cell differentiation or the viability of the organism [1].
• In contrast, lin-26 function does not appear necessary for elt-3 expression [2].
• Reporter gene analysis and antibody staining show that elt-3 is first expressed in the dorsal and ventral hypodermal cells, and in hypodermal cells of the head and tail, immediately after the final embryonic cell division that gives rise to these cells [2].
• The predicted ELT-3 polypeptide contains a single GATA-type zinc finger (C-X2-C-X17-C-X2-C) along with a conserved adjacent basic region. elt-3 mRNA is present in all stages of C. elegans development but is most abundant in embryos [2].

Biological context of elt-3

• No expression is seen in the lateral hypodermal (seam) cells. elt-3 expression is maintained at a constant level in the epidermis until the 2(1/2)-fold stage of development, after which reporter gene expression declines to a low level and endogenous protein can no longer be detected by specific antibody [2].
• These effects are specific in that two other C. elegans GATA factors (elt-1 and elt-3) do not cause ectopic gut gene expression [3].

Other interactions of elt-3

• We have found that elt-1 is required for the formation of most, but not all, elt-3-expressing cells [2].

References