The Caenorhabditis elegans APC-related gene apr-1 is required for epithelial cell migration and Hox gene expression.
Inactivation of the Caenorhabditis elegans APC-related gene (apr-1) has pointed at two separate functions of apr-1. First, apr-1 is required for the migration of epithelial cells during morphogenesis of the embryo. In this process, APR-1 may act in a Cadherin/alpha-Catenin/beta-Catenin complex as a component of adherens junctions. Second, apr-1 is required for Hox gene expression, most likely by positively regulating the activity of the Wingless signaling pathway. During embryogenesis, apr-1 is required for the expression of ceh-13 labial in anterior seam and muscle cells and during larval development, apr-1 is necessary for the expression of lin-39 deformed in the vulval precursor cells. Thus, APR-1 may positively regulate the activity of the beta-Catenin/Armadillo-related proteins HMP-2 in migrating epithelial cells and BAR-1 in the vulval precursor cells.
Hoier
E F
EF
Division of Cancer Research, Department of Pathology, University of Zürich, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland.
Mohler
W A
WA
Kim
S K
SK
Hajnal
A
A
D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002465:Cell Movement; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000502:physiology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D017353:Gene Deletion; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D005838:Genotype; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D009024:Morphogenesis; D014844:Vulva / Q000196:embryology
C118851:CEH-13 protein, C elegans; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C108673:lin-39 protein, C elegans