The C. elegans evl-20 gene is a homolog of the small GTPase ARL2 and regulates cytoskeleton dynamics during cytokinesis and morphogenesis.
The in vivo functions of ARF-like members of the Ras superfamily of GTPases are relatively unexplored. Here we describe the analysis of C. elegans evl-20 gene that encodes a functional homolog of human ARL2. Elimination of evl-20 function results in abnormal vulval, gonad, and male tail development and disrupts embryonic proliferation, hypodermal enclosure, and elongation. Loss of evl-20 function causes specific defects in the microtubule cytoskeleton, which is the likely molecular basis for the observed defects. EVL-20 is closely associated with both the cell cortex and astral microtubules, suggesting that it may directly interact with microtubule structures at those locations. Our data indicate that EVL-20 functions in the cytoplasm and at the plasma membrane to regulate cytoskeletal dynamics during cytokinesis and morphogenesis.
Antoshechkin
Igor
I
Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
Han
Min
M
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000502:physiology; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017238:Genes, Helminth; D006066:Gonads / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013623:Tail / Q000254:growth & development; D014844:Vulva / Q000254:growth & development
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D018509:DNA, Helminth; C456543:evl-20 protein, C elegans; C410130:ARL2 protein, human; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins