Dejima Katsufumi
   Department   School of Medicine, School of Medicine
   Position   Assistant Professor
Article types Original article
Language English
Peer review Peer reviewed
Title Analysis of GPI-anchored proteins involved in germline stem cell proliferation in the Caenorhabditis elegans germline stem cell niche
Journal Formal name:THE JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY
ISSN code:0021-924X/1756-2651
Domestic / ForeginForegin
Publisher OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
Volume, Issue, Page mvaa075,pp.?
Author and coauthor Marika Rikitake†, Ayako Matsuda†, Daisuke Murata, Katsufumi Dejima, Kazuko H Nomura, Karen L Abbott, Shohei Mitani, Kazuya Nomura*
Publication date 2020
Summary Stem cells divide and undergo self-renewal depending on the signals received from the stem cell niche. This phenomenon is indispensable to maintain tissues and organs in individuals. However, not all the molecular factors and mechanisms of self-renewal are known. In our previous study, we reported that glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins (GPI-APs) synthesized in the distal tip cells (DTCs; the stem cell niche) are essential for germline stem cell proliferation in Caenorhabditis elegans. Here, we characterized the GPI-APs required for proliferation. We selected and verified the candidate GPI-APs synthesized in DTCs by RNA interference screening and found that F57F4.3 (GFI-1), F57F4.4, and F54E2.1 are necessary for germline proliferation. These proteins are likely involved in the same pathway for proliferation and activated by the transcription factor PQM-1. We further provided evidence suggesting that these GPI-APs act through fatty acid remodelling of the GPI anchor, which is essential for association with lipid rafts. These findings demonstrated that GPI-APs, particularly F57F4.3/4 and F54E2.1, synthesized in the germline stem cell niche are located in lipid rafts and involved in promoting germline stem cell proliferation in C. elegans. The findings may thus shed light on the mechanisms by which GPI-APs regulate stem cell self-renewal.
DOI 10.1093