The gene clk-2 of C. elegans is required in both the germline and the soma, for subsequent embryonic viability, and for developmental and behavioural rates, respectively, clk-2 encodes a protein that is homologous to Tel2p in yeast, which is required for the telomere length regulation. It has been demonstrated that clk-2 affects telomere length also in worms and human cells. By now the exact biochemical function of CLK-2 is unknown. In order to shed light onto the function of the gene clk-2, a two-hybrid screen was carried out to identify the interactors of the protein CLK-2. A potential interactor of CLK-2, Y105C5B.19, was identified in the screen. Y105C5B.19 is a novel gene and does not have homologues in other species. Y105C5B.19 contains an MSP (major sperm protein) domain, therefore it is possible that it could be involved in the processes that regulate oocyte maturation, gonadal sheath contractions, or sperm mobility. Interestingly, given that clk-2 is required for subsequent embryogenesis at some point during a narrow time between the end of oocyte maturation and the 2-cell stage, it is tempting to speculate that the interaction between CLK-2 and Y105C5B.19 might be functionally relevant. The lethality of clk-2(qm37) mutants might result from delayed consequences of defects in ovulation and/or fertilization, and perhaps such defects could result from the disruption of the interaction between CLK-2 and Y105C5B.19. The amino acid substitution C772Y resulting from the clk-2(qm37) mutation was found to disrupt the interaction between CLK-2 and Y105C5B.19 in a two-hybrid assay, lending support to the idea that the interaction between CLK-2 and Y105C5B.19 takes place in vivo.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.19733 |
| Date | January 2003 |
| Creators | Wang, Ying |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Department of Biology) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 002022823, Theses scanned by McGill Library. |
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