nompA encodes a PNS-specific, ZP domain protein required to connect mechanosensory dendrites to sensory structures.
Mutations in the no-mechanoreceptor-potential A (nompA) gene, which eliminate transduction in Drosophila mechanosensory organs, disrupt contacts between neuronal sensory endings and cuticular structures. nompA encodes a transmembrane protein with a large, modular extracellular segment that includes a zona pellucida (ZP) domain and several plasminogen N-terminal (PAN) modules. It is specifically expressed in type I sense organs of the peripheral nervous system by the support cells that ensheath the neuronal sensory process. A green fluorescent protein (GFP)-NompA fusion protein is localized to the dendritic cap, an extracellular matrix that covers the ciliary outer segment of the sensory process and that shows organizational defects in nompA mutants. The structure and location of NompA suggest that it forms part of a mechanical linkage required to transmit mechanical stimuli to the transduction apparatus.
Department of Neurobiology and Behavior and, The State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
Y D
YD
Chung
J
J
Zhu
Y
Y
Han
M J
MJ
Kernan
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D003712:Dendrites / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D004330:Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004527:Egg Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation / Q000502:physiology*; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D020539:Sequence Analysis, Protein / Q000379:methods
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004527:Egg Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C423085:nompA protein, Drosophila; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins