Most cellular processes require the coordinate activities of multiple gene products. These collaborations vary with different contexts.
mel-28 encodes a conserved multi-functional nucleoporin required for nuclear envelope integrity, the post-mitotic rebuilding of the nuclear pore, and the proper segregation of chromosomes during mitosis (Galy et al. 2006; Fernandez and Piano 2006). Loss of
mel-28 results in strict maternal-effect embryonic lethality. Thus homozygous mutant embryos produced from heterozygous mothers show typical wild-type development until they become adults and produce normal-sized broods of inviable embryos. This suggests that
mel-28 is required for embryonic development but is dispensable for post-embryonic development and adult processes such as fertility. To identify genes that function collaboratively with
mel-28, we did an RNAi screen to find genes that cause fertility defects in
mel-28 mutant animals but not wild-type animals (Fernandez et al. 2014). Among the genes identified were those encoding components of the minus-end-directed microtubule motor dynein.