The sqt-1 gene of C. elegans encodes a collagen critical for organismal morphogenesis.
Different mutations in the sqt-1 gene of C. elegans can lengthen, shorten, or helically twist the entire animal. We have cloned the sqt-1 gene and have shown that it encodes a collagen. sqt-1 was localized to a 35 kb region of DNA by physical mapping of chromosomal deficiencies. A transposon (Tc1)-induced mutation of sqt-1 was generated and utilized to identify the sqt-1 gene within this 35 kb region. Sequence analysis of the sqt-1 gene shows that it encodes a 32 kd collagen polypeptide that is similar in size and structure to other members of the C. elegans collagen family. The Tc1 insertion mutant has no detectable sqt-1 transcripts, yet it is morphologically normal, indicating that the null phenotype of sqt-1 is wild type. These results demonstrate that collagen mutations can have dramatic effects on organismal morphology.
Kramer
J M
JM
Laboratory for Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois, Chicago 60680.
Johnson
J J
JJ
Edgar
R S
RS
Basch
C
C
Roberts
S
S
D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002107:Caenorhabditis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D003094:Collagen / Q000235:genetics*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005796:Genes; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009154:Mutation; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D003094:Collagen