Investigation of PAL-1 requirement in C. elegans physiology using the auxin-inducible degradation system.

ABSTRACT

The C. elegans PAL-1 protein encodes a caudal-like transcription factor that is required for posterior development and was recently implicated in stress response. We generated a transgenic strain of C. elegans with AID*3xFLAGwrmScarlet cassette knocked in at the C-terminal end of the pal-1 locus to enable an auxin-inducible degradation of PAL-1 . We found that auxin-induced degradation of PAL-1 starting from the L1 larval stage does not affect body length development but renders the animal sterile and shortens lifespan. This pal-1AID*3xFLAGwrmScarlet strain will be a valuable resource for studying the requirement of PAL-1 in a temporal and tissue-specific manner.