title: Calcineurin may regulate multiple endocytic processes in C. elegans.
abstract: Calcineurin is a serine/threonine protein phosphatase controlled by Ca(2+) and calmodulin that has been implicated in various signaling pathways. Previously, we reported that calcineurin regulates coelomocyte endocytosis in Caenorhabditis elegans. So far, simple and powerful in vivo approaches have been developed to study various endocytic processes in C. elegans. Using these in vivo assays, we further analyzed the endocytic phenotypes of calcineurin mutants. We observed that the calcineurin mutants were defective in apical endocytosis in the intestine as well as synaptic vesicle recycling in the nerve cord. However, we found that calcineurin mutants displayed normal receptor-mediated endocytosis in oocytes. Therefore, our results suggest that calcineurin may regulate specific sets of endocytic processes in nematode.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, BK21 (Life Science for Global Warming Team), College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun-Ok
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Joohong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ahnn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development; D019703:Calcineurin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D004705:Endocytosis; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009865:Oocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D013572:Synaptic Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D062805:Synaptogyrins
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D062805:Synaptogyrins; D019703:Calcineurin