The C. elegans unc-18 gene encodes a protein expressed in motor neurons.
The C. elegans unc-18 gene is required to maintain normal acetylcholine levels. We determined the complete structure of an unc-18 cDNA that encodes a protein of 591 highly charged and hydrophilic amino acids. The protein shows sequence similarity with elements of the secretory pathway in the yeast S. cerevisiae. Antibodies raised against a portion of the unc-18-encoded protein (UNC-18) detected a 68 kd soluble antigen on immunoblots and intensely stained all vertical cord motor neurons in situ. These findings suggest that UNC-18 participates in the axonal transport system and influences the acetylcholine flow in motor neurons.
Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Japan.
K
K
Gengyo-Ando
Y
Y
Kamiya
A
A
Yamakawa
K
K
Kodaira
K
K
Nishiwaki
J
J
Miwa
I
I
Hori
R
R
Hosono
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000032:analysis; D015870:Gene Expression; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007814:Larva; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; C082636:Unc-18 protein, C elegans; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins