title: Autophagy genes unc-51 and bec-1 are required for normal cell size in Caenorhabditis elegans.
abstract: Here we show that in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans mutational inactivation of two autophagy genes unc-51/atg1 and bec-1/atg6/beclin1 results in small body size without affecting cell number. Furthermore, loss-of-function mutations in unc-51 and bec-1 suppress the giant phenotype of mutant animals with aberrant insulin-like growth factor-1 (insulin/IGF-1) or transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) signaling. This function for unc-51 and bec-1 in cell size control and their interaction with these two growth modulatory pathways may represent a link between the hormonal and nutritional regulation of cell growth.
authors: Department of Genetics, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors: István
authors: I
authors: Aladzsity
authors: Márton L
authors: ML
authors: Tóth
authors: Tímea
authors: T
authors: Sigmond
authors: Emese
authors: E
authors: Szabó
authors: Bertalan
authors: B
authors: Bicsák
authors: János
authors: J
authors: Barna
authors: Agnes
authors: A
authors: Regos
authors: László
authors: L
authors: Orosz
authors: Attila L
authors: AL
authors: Kovács
authors: Tibor
authors: T
authors: Vellai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D048429:Cell Size; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D013002:Somatomedins / Q000378:metabolism; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D013002:Somatomedins; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins; C477268:bec-1 protein, C elegans; C112443:UNC-51 protein, C elegans; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases