A comprehensive survey of C. elegans argonaute proteins reveals organism-wide gene regulatory networks and functions

Uri Seroussi; Andrew Lugowski; Lina Wadi; Robert X Lao; Alexandra R Willis; Winnie Zhao; Adam E Sundby; Amanda G Charlesworth; Aaron W Reinke; Julie M Claycomb

doi:10.7554/eLife.83853

eLife (Feb 2023)

A comprehensive survey of C. elegans argonaute proteins reveals organism-wide gene regulatory networks and functions

Uri Seroussi,
Andrew Lugowski,
Lina Wadi,
Robert X Lao,
Alexandra R Willis,
Winnie Zhao,
Adam E Sundby,
Amanda G Charlesworth,
Aaron W Reinke,
Julie M Claycomb

Affiliations

Uri Seroussi: Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Andrew Lugowski: Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Lina Wadi: Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Robert X Lao: Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Alexandra R Willis: Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Winnie Zhao: Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Adam E Sundby: Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Amanda G Charlesworth: Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Aaron W Reinke: ORCiD; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Julie M Claycomb: ORCiD; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.83853
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12

Abstract

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Argonaute (AGO) proteins associate with small RNAs to direct their effector function on complementary transcripts. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans contains an expanded family of 19 functional AGO proteins, many of which have not been fully characterized. In this work, we systematically analyzed every C. elegans AGO using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to introduce GFP::3xFLAG tags. We have characterized the expression patterns of each AGO throughout development, identified small RNA binding complements, and determined the effects of ago loss on small RNA populations and developmental phenotypes. Our analysis indicates stratification of subsets of AGOs into distinct regulatory modules, and integration of our data led us to uncover novel stress-induced fertility and pathogen response phenotypes due to ago loss.

Published in eLife

ISSN: 2050-084X (Online)
Publisher: eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Medicine; Science: Biology (General)
Website: https://elifesciences.org

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