UNC-115, a conserved protein with predicted LIM and actin-binding domains, mediates axon guidance in C. elegans.
Axon guidance receptors modulate the growth cone cytoskeleton through signaling pathways that are not well understood. Here, we describe the C. elegans unc-115 gene, which encodes a candidate cytoskeletal linker protein that acts in axon guidance. unc-115 mutants have defects in a subset of axons, particularly as the affected axons change environments during outgrowth. The unc-115 gene encodes a putative actin-binding protein that is similar to the human actin-binding protein abLIM/limatin; it has a villin headpiece domain and three LIM domains that could mediate protein interactions. unc-115 is expressed in neurons during their development and is required cell-autonomously in certain neurons for normal axon guidance. We propose that UNC-115 modulates the growth cone actin cytoskeleton in response to signals received by growth cone receptors.
Lundquist
E A
EA
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Anatomy, The University of California, San Francisco 94143-0452, USA.
Herman
R K
RK
Shaw
J E
JE
Bargmann
C I
CI
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D046508:Culture Techniques; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D004817:Epidermis / Q000378:metabolism; D005815:Genetic Code; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D060588:LIM Domain Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009154:Mutation; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary
C107440:ABLIM1 protein, human; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D060588:LIM Domain Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins