Research Interests

Molecular genetics of C. elegans

Research Description

The steady-state levels of eukaryotic mRNAs are determined by their relative rates of synthesis and degradation. It is increasingly apparent that mRNAss stability plays an important role in gene expression. Turnover of many, if not all, mRNAs is intimately coupled to translation. The importance of translation in mRNA turnover is particularly striking in the case of nonsense-mutant mRNA's, Messenger RNAs that contain contain premature stop codons are unstable in all eukaryotes. The Anderson lab investigates nonsense medicated mRNA decay in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Mutations in any of seven different genes (smg-1 through smg-7) eliminate nonsense-mediated mRNA decay and cause nonsense mutant mRNAs to be stable, rather than unstable.

Our work is designed to answer four questions: What are the smg gene products? Where are smg proteins located in the cell, and with what do they associate? How are nonsense mutant mRNAs targeted for selective degradation? What are the natural substrates for nonsense-mediated mRNA decay in vivo? We combine genetic, molecular, and biochemical approaches to answer these questions.

Recent Publications

• Page, M.F, Carr, B., Anders, K.R., Grimson, A. and Anderson, P. 1999. SMG-2 is a phosphorylated protein required for mRNA surveillance in Caenorhabditis elegans and related to Upf1p of yeast. Mol. Cell. Biol. 19:5943-5951
  
  
• Cali, B.M., Kuchma, S.L., Latham, J. and Anderson, P. 1999. smg-7 is required for mRNA surveillance in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics. 151:605-16.
  
  
• Cali, BM and Anderson, P. 1998. mRNA surveillance mitigates genetic dominance in Caenorhabditis elegans. Mol. Gen. Genet. 260:176-84.
  
  
• Maryon, E.B., Saari, B. and Anderson, P. 1998. Muscle-specific functions of ryanodine receptor channels in Caenorhabditis elegans.
  J. Cell Sci. 111:2885-2895.