A Genome-Wide RNAi Screen for Enhancers of a Germline Tumor Phenotype Caused by Elevated GLP-1/Notch Signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans

Stem cells' proliferation and differentiation are tightly regulated. The C. elegans germline offers a simple system to study stem cells. GLP-1/Notch signaling prevents germ cell differentiation, supporting a stem cell pool. A delay in germline development can cause undifferentiated germ cells to persist, forming a proximal tumor. This tumor blocks the oviduct. This is common in glp-1(ar202) mutants at restrictive temperatures. The study identifies genes that, when depleted via RNAi, increase the percentage of worms with proximal germline tumors in glp-1(ar202) at permissive temperatures, identifying 43 such genes.

• 1
  The RNAi screen identified 43 genes that enhance proximal tumor formation in glp-1(ar202) mutants at the permissive temperature.
• 2
  The most enriched functional class among these genes is "translation," accounting for approximately 40% of the identified genes.
• 3
  Some of these genes influence the distal germ line, and some are conserved genes with previously unknown genetic interactions with Notch.