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.
Laboratorio Nazionale C.I.B., Area Science Park, Padriciano 99, 34012, Trieste, Italy. agostoni@icgeb.trieste.it
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Agostoni
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Gobessi
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Brancolini
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Schneider
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