UNC-6, a laminin-related protein, guides cell and pioneer axon migrations in C. elegans.
The unc-6 gene is required for the guidance of pioneer axons and migrating cells along the body wall in C. elegans. In mutants, dorsal and ventral migrations are disrupted, but longitudinal movements are largely unaffected. The gene was tagged for molecular cloning by two independent transposon insertions. Based on genomic and cDNA sequencing, the gene encodes a novel laminin-related protein, UNC-6 (591 amino acids). The N-terminus is homologous to the N-termini (i.e., domains V1, V-1, V-2, and V-3) of laminin subunits, while the C-terminus is a unique domain. We propose that UNC-6 is a component of an extracellular matrix cue that guides dorsoventral migrations on the epidermis.
Ishii
N
N
Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Roche Institute of Molecular Biology, Nutley, New Jersey 07110.
Wadsworth
W G
WG
Stern
B D
BD
Culotti
J G
JG
Hedgecock
E M
EM
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000166:cytology*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D005091:Exons; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007797:Laminin / Q000737:chemistry*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000075385:Netrins; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000737:chemistry; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D007797:Laminin; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000075385:Netrins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C078146:UNC-6 protein, C elegans; D004247:DNA