Transcriptional regulator of programmed cell death encoded by Caenorhabditis elegans gene ces-2

M. M. Metzstein, M. O. Hengartner, N. Tsung, R. E. Ellis, H. R. Horvitz

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

144 Scopus citations

Abstract

The ces (for cell-death specification) genes of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans control the cell-death fate of individual cell types and are candidates for being the regulators of an evolutionarily conserved general pathway of programmed cell death. Here we present what we believe is the first molecular characterization of aces gene. We cloned the gene ces-2, which is required to activate programmed cell death in the sister cells of the serotoninergic neurosecretory motor (NSM) neurons, and found that ces-2 encodes a basic region leucine-zipper (bZIP) transcription factor. The CES-2 protein is most similar to members of the PAR (proline- and acid-rich) subfamily of bZIP proteins and has DNA-binding specificity like that of PAR- family proteins. An oncogenic form of the mammalian PAR-family protein, hepatic leukaemia factor (HLF), is reported to effect programmed cell death in mammalian cells. On the basis of these observations, we suggest that some CES-2/PAR family transcription factors are evolutionarily conserved regulators of programmed cell death.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)545-547
Number of pages3
JournalNature
Volume382
Issue number6591
DOIs
StatePublished - 1996
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General

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