Identification of a TRAF (TNF receptor-associated factor) gene in Caenorhabditis elegans.
Many members of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor superfamily and the interleukin-1 (IL-1) receptor engage intracellular signaling pathways including the nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB)-, c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathways by direct or indirect interaction with TNF receptor-associated factor (TRAF) molecules. To date, six mammalian members of the TRAF family have been identified. Searching public databases with a sequence pattern comprising 19 conserved amino acid residues derived from the carboxyl-terminal part of the TRAF homology domain, we found significant sequence homologies to a stretch of genomic DNA from Caenorhabditis elegans which encodes 1 of 12 exons of a putative protein. The sequence of this putative protein shows up to 29% sequence identity to the mammalian TRAFs and is therefore designated C. elegans TRAF (CeTRAF). The CeTRAF molecule has an amino-terminal RING finger motif followed by four zinc finger structures and a carboxyl-terminal TRAF domain, a composition which is also found in most of the mammalian TRAFs. Reverse transcription-PCR and sequencing analysis of the respective amplicon clearly demonstrates that CeTRAF is in fact transcribed in C. elegans. The existence of a member of the TRAF family in C. elegans provides strong evidence for evolutionary conserved pathways linking cell surface receptors to activation of JNK, ERK, and NF-kappaB.
Wajant
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Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology, University of Stuttgart, Allmandring 31, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
Mühlenbeck
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Scheurich
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D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D017238:Genes, Helminth; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013045:Species Specificity; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000235:genetics
D017931:DNA Primers; D018509:DNA, Helminth; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D016328:NF-kappa B; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor