title: The Caenorhabditis elegans aristaless orthologue, alr-1, is required for maintaining the functional and structural integrity of the amphid sensory organs.
abstract: The homeobox-containing aristaless-related protein ARX has been directly linked to the development of a number of human disorders involving mental retardation and epilepsy and clearly plays a critical role in development of the vertebrate central nervous system. In this work, we investigate the role of ALR-1, the Caenorhabditis elegans aristaless orthologue, in amphid sensory function. Our studies indicate that ALR-1 is required for maintenance of the amphid organ structure throughout larval development. Mutant analysis indicates a progressive loss in the amphid neurons' ability to fill with lipophilic dyes as well as a declining chemotactic response. The degeneration in amphid function corresponds with a failure of the glial-like amphid socket cell to maintain its specific cell shape and cell-cell contacts. Consistent with ALR-1 expression within the amphid socket cell, our results indicate a cell autonomous role for ALR-1 in maintaining cell shape. Furthermore, we demonstrate a role for ALR-1 in the proper morphogenesis of the anterior hypodermis. Genetic interaction tests also suggest that ALR-1 may function cooperatively with the cell adhesion processes in maintaining the amphid sensory organs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boulder, CO 80303, USA.
authors.forename: Morgan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.forename: Matt
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sieber
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morphew
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D048430:Cell Shape / Q000502:physiology; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000502:physiology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D007365:Intercellular Junctions / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007814:Larva; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D009154:Mutation; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009995:Osmosis; D012679:Sense Organs / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: C501326:ALR-1 protein, C elegans; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins