Research Article 2881 A novel linker histone-like protein is associated with cytoplasmic filaments in Caenorhabditis elegans Monika A. Jedrusik1, Stefan Vogt2, Peter Claus3 and Ekkehard Schulze1,* 1Georg-August University of Göttingen, Third Department of Zoology – Developmental Biology, Humboldtallee 34A, 37073 Göttingen, Germany 2Georg-August University of Göttingen, Institute for X-ray Physics, Geiststraße 11, 37073 Göttingen, Germany 3Hannover Medical School, Neuroanatomy, Carl-Neuberg-Str.1, 30625 Hannover, Germany *Author for correspondence (e-mail:
[email protected]) Accepted 1 May 2002 Journal of Cell Science 115, 2881-2891 (2002) © The Company of Biologists Ltd Summary The histone H1 complement of Caenorhabditis elegans structure therein, the tonofilaments. Additionally contains a single unusual protein, H1.X. Although H1.X H1.X::GFP is expressed in the cytoplasm of body and vulva possesses the globular domain and the canonical three- muscle cells, neurons, excretory cells and in the nucleoli of domain structure of linker histones, the amino acid embryonic blastomeres and adult gut cells. RNA composition of H1.X is distinctly different from interference with H1.X results in uncoordinated and egg conventional linker histones in both terminal domains. We laying defective animals, as well as in a longitudinally have characterized H1.X in C. elegans by antibody labeling, enlarged pharynx. These phenotypes indicate a green fluorescent protein fusion protein expression and cytoplasmic role of H1.X in muscle growth and muscle RNA interference. Unlike normal linker histones, H1.X is function. a cytoplasmic as well as a nuclear protein and is not associated with chromosomes. H1.X is most prominently expressed in the marginal cells of the pharynx and is Key words: Caenorhabditis elegans, Histone H1, Chromatin, associated with a peculiar cytoplasmic cytoskeletal Intermediate filaments, Linker histone Introduction essential aspects of higher multicellular life, such as cell Linker histones are highly abundant eukaryotic chromatin differentiation and development.