title: LET-23 receptor localization by the cell junction protein LIN-7 during C. elegans vulval induction.
abstract: In C. elegans, the anchor cell signal induces Pn.p cells to form the vulva by activating a conserved receptor tyrosine kinase pathway. lin-2 and lin-7 mutants exhibit a vulvaless phenotype similar to the phenotype observed when this signaling pathway is defective. We have found that LIN-7 is a cell junction-associated protein that binds to the LET-23 receptor tyrosine kinase. LET-23 is also localized to the cell junctions, and both LIN-2 and LIN-7 are required for this localization. LET-23 overexpression rescues the lin-2 or lin-7 vulvaless phenotype, suggesting that increased receptor density can compensate for mislocalization. These results suggest that proper localization of LET-23 receptor to the Pn.p cell junctions is required for signaling activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University Medical School, California 94305-5427, USA.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Simske
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kaech
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Harp
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004627:Embryonic Induction / Q000235:genetics; D004848:Epithelium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D017238:Genes, Helminth / Q000502:physiology; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D007365:Intercellular Junctions / Q000737:chemistry*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation / Q000502:physiology; D010641:Phenotype; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011506:Proteins; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D014844:Vulva / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D015801:Helminth Proteins; C099173:LIN-7 protein, C elegans; C097978:Lin-2 protein, C elegans; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011506:Proteins; C064105:lin-10 protein, C elegans; D066246:ErbB Receptors; C085873:let-23 protein, C elegans