title: unc-53 controls longitudinal migration in C. elegans.
abstract: Cell migration and outgrowth are thought to be based on analogous mechanisms that require repeated cycles of process extension, reading and integration of multiple directional signals, followed by stabilisation in a preferred direction, and renewed extension. We have characterised a C. elegans gene, unc-53, that appears to act cell autonomously in the migration and outgrowth of muscles, axons and excretory canals. Abrogation of unc-53 function disrupts anteroposterior outgrowth in those cells that normally express the gene. Conversely, overexpression of unc-53 in bodywall muscles leads to exaggerated outgrowth. UNC-53 is a novel protein conserved in vertebrates that contains putative SH3- and actin-binding sites. unc-53 interacts genetically with sem-5 and we demonstrated a direct interaction in vitro between UNC-53 and the SH2-SH3 adaptor protein SEM-5/GRB2. Thus, unc-53 is involved in longitudinal navigation and might act by linking extracellular guidance cues to the intracellular cytoskeleton.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Ghent University - Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB09), Gent 9000, Belgium.
authors.forename: Eve
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stringham
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pujol
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vandekerckhove
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bogaert
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001483:Base Sequence; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000235:genetics; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017238:Genes, Helminth; D008297:Male; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009132:Muscles / Q000166:cytology; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D018509:DNA, Helminth; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; C465016:UNC-53 protein, C elegans