Real-time PCR revealed that both
lin-35/Rb and
dpl-1/DP mutations increase
mat-3 mRNA levels in
mat-3(
ku233) mutants to near wild-type or greater than wild-type levels. A
lin-36 mutation that does not suppress
mat-3(
ku233) defects does not significantly increase
mat-3 mRNA expression. Thus changes in
mat-3 expression levels correlate well with phenotypic suppression.
lin-35/Rb and
dpl-1/DP mutations slightly increase
mat-3 gene expression in a
mat-3(+) background, but the effect is not as dramatic as that seen in the
ku233 background and is similar to that caused by a
lin-36 mutation. Thus, as for many other effects of SynMuv genes, the repressive effects of
lin-35/Rb and
dpl-1/DP on
mat-3 are detected only in a sensitized genetic background.