The Flightless I homolog, fli-1, regulates anterior/posterior polarity, asymmetric cell division and ovulation during Caenorhabditis elegans development.

Flightless I (Fli I) is an evolutionarily conserved member of the gelsolin family, containing actin-binding and severing activity in vitro. The physiological function of Fli I during animal development remains largely undefined. In this study, we reveal a key role of the Caenorhabditis elegans Fli I homolog, fli-1, in specifying asymmetric cell division and in establishing anterior-posterior polarity in the zygote. The fli-1 gene also regulates the cytokinesis of somatic cells and the development of germline and interacts with the phosphoinositol-signaling pathway in the regulation of ovulation. The fli-1 reporter gene shows that the localization of FLI-1 coincides with actin-rich regions and that the actin cytoskeleton is impaired in many tissues in the fli-1 mutants. Furthermore, the function of fli-1 in C. elegans can be functionally substituted by the Drosophila Fli I. Our studies demonstrate that fli-1 plays an important role in regulating the actin-dependent events during C. elegans development.