Genomic organization, expression, and analysis of the troponin C gene pat-10 of Caenorhabditis elegans.
We have cloned and characterized the troponin C gene, pat-10 of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. At the amino acid level nematode troponin C is most similar to troponin C of Drosophila (45% identity) and cardiac troponin C of vertebrates. Expression studies demonstrate that this troponin is expressed in body wall muscle throughout the life of the animal. Later, vulval muscles and anal muscles also express this troponin C isoform. The structural gene for this troponin is pat-10 and mutations in this gene lead to animals that arrest as twofold paralyzed embryos late in development. We have sequenced two of the mutations in pat-10 and both had identical two mutations in the gene; one changes D64 to N and the other changes W153 to a termination site. The missense alteration affects a calcium-binding site and eliminates calcium binding, whereas the second mutation eliminates binding to troponin I. These combined biochemical and in vivo studies of mutant animals demonstrate that this troponin is essential for proper muscle function during development.
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530 Japan.
H
H
Terami
B D
BD
Williams
S i
Si
Kitamura
Y
Y
Sakube
S
S
Matsumoto
S
S
Doi
T
T
Obinata
H
H
Kagawa
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D015870:Gene Expression; D017238:Genes, Helminth; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D024510:Muscle Development; D009132:Muscles / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D019209:Troponin C / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019210:Troponin I / Q000378:metabolism
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C000592800:PAT-10 protein, C elegans; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D019209:Troponin C; D019210:Troponin I; D002118:Calcium