title: crm-1 facilitates BMP signaling to control body size in Caenorhabditis elegans.
abstract: We have identified in Caenorhabditis elegans a homologue of the vertebrate Crim1, crm-1, which encodes a putative transmembrane protein with multiple cysteine-rich (CR) domains known to have bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) binding activity. Using the body morphology of C. elegans as an indicator, we showed that attenuation of crm-1 activity leads to a small body phenotype reminiscent of that of BMP pathway mutants. We showed that the crm-1 loss-of-function phenotype can be rescued by constitutive supply of sma-4 activity. crm-1 can enhance BMP signaling and this activity is dependent on the presence of the DBL-1 ligand and its receptors. crm-1 is expressed in neurons at the ventral nerve cord, where the DBL-1 ligand is produced. However, ectopic expression experiments reveal that crm-1 gene products act outside the DBL-1 producing cells and function non-autonomously to facilitate dbl/sma pathway signaling to control body size.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, PR China.
authors.forename: Wong Yan
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: Ko Frankie Chi
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Fat
authors.forename: Cheah Kathryn Song
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Eng
authors.forename: Chow King
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Lau
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C117509:Dbl-1 protein, C elegans; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; C524627:crm-1 protein, C elegans