title: UNC-115, a conserved protein with predicted LIM and actin-binding domains, mediates axon guidance in C. elegans.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Anatomy, The University of California, San Francisco 94143-0452, USA.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Lundquist
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Herman
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: C I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Bargmann
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: C107440:ABLIM1 protein, human; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D060588:LIM Domain Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins