CEH-60/PBX regulates vitellogenesis and cuticle formation through interaction with UNC-62/MEIS in Caenorhabditis elegans

The onset of sexual maturity involves dramatic changes in physiology and gene expression in many animals. A textbook example is the production of enormous amounts of yolk proteins destined for the nascent oocytes, termed vitellogenesis. We previously identified the rapidly evolving PBC-class Hox-cofactor CEH-60/PBX as necessary for abundant vit transcription in C. elegans. Differential proteomics data shows that all vitellogenin proteins are indeed drastically downregulated in ceh-60 mutant animals and suggest an additional role for CEH-60’s involvement cuticle structure, innate immunity and stress response.