CGC Bibliography Paper 5107

Caenorhabditis elegans DNA mismatch repair gene msh-2 is required for microsatellite stability and maintenance of genome integrity.

Degtyareva NP, Greenwell P, Hofmann ER, Hengartner MO, Zhang L, Culotti JG, Petes TD

Medline:

11830642

Citation:

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 99: 2158-2163 2002

Type:

ARTICLE

Genes:

msh-2 unc-58

Abstract:

Mismatch repair genes are important in maintaining the fidelity of DNA replication. To determine the function of the Caenorhabditis elegans homologue of the MSH2 mismatch repair gene (msh-2), we isolated a strain of C elegans with an insertion of the transposable element Tc1 within msh-2. Early-passage msh-2 mutants were similar to wild-type worms with regard to lifespan and meiotic chromosome segregation but had slightly reduced fertility. The mutant worms had reduced DNA damage-induced germ-line apoptosis after genotoxic stress. The msh-2 mutants also had elevated levels of microsatellite instability and increased rates of reversion of the dominant unc-58(e665) mutation. In addition, serially passaged cultures of msh-2 worms died out much more quickly than those of wild-type worms. These results demonstrate that msh-2 function in C elegans is important in regulating both short- and long-term genomic stability.