Identification and characterization of a new member of the gas3/PMP22 gene family in C. elegans.
The Gas3/PMP22 protein family is characterized by tetraspan transmembrane proteins. The gas3/PMP22 gene is highly expressed in Schwann cells of the peripheral nervous system, and different alterations of this gene are associated with hereditary demyelinating neuropathies, such as the Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 1A, the Dejerine-Sottas syndrome and the Hereditary Liability to Pressure Palsies (HNPP).Here, we report on the identification of at least one member of the Gas3/PMP22 family in the nematode C. elegans (C01C10.1b). C01C10.1b shares 36% of identical amino acids with the human Gas3/PMP22 and is characterized by four hydrophobic putative transmembrane domains. It lacks the typical N-linked glycosylation consensus in the first extracellular loop. C01C10.1b is transcribed as an operon downstream to the gene C01C10.1a, which encodes for a putative tetraspan protein with less conserved homology with the Gas3/PMP22 family. Interestingly, C01C10.1a contains three N-glycosylation sites at the C-terminus. Both genes are expressed in different nematode developmental stages and in the adults. The characterization of one member of the gas3/PMP22 family in C. elegans gives the opportunity to use this model organism to investigate the role of gas3/PMP22 in the regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation and its relation to the hereditary neurodegenerative diseases in humans.
Agostoni
E
E
Laboratorio Nazionale C.I.B., Area Science Park, Padriciano 99, 34012, Trieste, Italy. agostoni@icgeb.trieste.it
Gobessi
S
S
Brancolini
C
C
Schneider
C
C
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017238:Genes, Helminth / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009185:Myelin Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics*; D009876:Operon; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D018509:DNA, Helminth; D009185:Myelin Proteins; C120573:clc-4 protein, C elegans; C120572:clc-5 protein, C elegans