title: Molecular characterization of Pegarn: a Drosophila homolog of UNC-51 kinase.
abstract: We have isolated and characterized the gene encoding a Drosophila melanogaster homolog of Caenorhabditis elegans UNC-51 (uncoordinated movement-51): Pegarn. Developmental Northern blot shows the Pegarn gene is expressed at all stages of development. The protein is detected throughout the Drosophila third instar larval central nervous system (CNS) in axons projecting out from the ventral ganglion and in the optic anlagen of the optic lobe. Heterozygous Pegarn mutant embryos show defects in larval axonal neuronal patterning, but survive to adulthood. Homozygous mutants have an even more deformed pattern of neuronal development and do not survive through the larval stages. The data from this research suggest the critical roles of Pegarn in CNS and PNS axonal formation in Drosophila melanogaster and indicates its similar role in other multicellular species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, 6900 North Loop 1604W, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA. scaah@mahidol.ac.th
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahantarig
authors.forename: L V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Chadwell
authors.forename: I B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Terrazas
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Nazarian
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lundell
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cassill
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000071189:Autophagy-Related Protein-1 Homolog; D001369:Axons / Q000737:chemistry; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D008018:Life Cycle Stages / Q000235:genetics; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D017385:Sequence Homology
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C112443:UNC-51 protein, C elegans; C518074:Atg1 protein, Drosophila; D000071189:Autophagy-Related Protein-1 Homolog; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases