A conserved LIM protein that affects muscular adherens junction integrity and mechanosensory function in Caenorhabditis elegans.
We describe here the molecular and functional characterization of the Caenorhabditis elegans unc-97 gene, whose gene product constitutes a novel component of muscular adherens junctions. UNC-97 and homologues from several other species define the PINCH family, a family of LIM proteins whose modular composition of five LIM domains implicates them as potential adapter molecules. unc-97 expression is restricted to tissue types that attach to the hypodermis, specifically body wall muscles, vulval muscles, and mechanosensory neurons. In body wall muscles, the UNC-97 protein colocalizes with the beta-integrin PAT-3 to the focal adhesion-like attachment sites of muscles. Partial and complete loss-of-function studies demonstrate that UNC-97 affects the structural integrity of the integrin containing muscle adherens junctions and contributes to the mechanosensory functions of touch neurons. The expression of a Drosophila homologue of unc-97 in two integrin containing cell types, muscles, and muscle-attached epidermal cells, suggests that unc-97 function in adherens junction assembly and stability has been conserved across phylogeny. In addition to its localization to adherens junctions UNC-97 can also be detected in the nucleus, suggesting multiple functions for this LIM domain protein.
Hobert
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O
Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.hobert@molbio.mgh.harvard.edu
Moerman
D G
DG
Clark
K A
KA
Beckerle
M C
MC
Ruvkun
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G
D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000378:metabolism*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D004330:Drosophila; D015870:Gene Expression; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D060588:LIM Domain Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009132:Muscles / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C101149:FHL1 protein, human; C486306:Fhl1 protein, mouse; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D060588:LIM Domain Proteins; C088088:LIMS1 protein, human; C490232:Lims1 protein, mouse; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; C117451:UNC-97 protein, C elegans; C490233:pin-2 protein, C elegans