title: α Integrin cytoplasmic tails have tissue-specific roles during C. elegans development.
abstract: Integrin signaling impacts many developmental processes. The complexity of these signals increases when multiple, unique integrin heterodimers are expressed during a single developmental event. Since integrin heterodimers have different signaling capabilities, the signals originating at each integrin type must be separated in the cell. C. elegans have two integrin heterodimers, α INA-1/β PAT-3 and α PAT-2/β PAT-3, which are expressed individually or simultaneously, based on tissue type. We used chimeric α integrins to assess the role of α integrin cytoplasmic tails during development. Chimeric integrin ina-1 with the pat-2 cytoplasmic tail rescued lethality and maintained neuron fasciculation in an ina-1 mutant. Interestingly, the pat-2 tail was unable to completely restore distal tip cell migration and vulva morphogenesis. Chimeric integrin pat-2 with the ina-1 cytoplasmic tail had a limited ability to rescue a lethal mutation in pat-2, with survivors showing aberrant muscle organization, yet normal distal tip cell migration. In a wild type background, α integrin pat-2 with the ina-1 cytoplasmic tail had a dominant negative effect which induced muscle disorganization, cell migration defects and lethality. These results show the α integrin cytoplasmic tails impact unique cellular behaviors that vary by tissue type during development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Chemistry, Christopher Newport University, Newport News, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Meighan
authors.forename: Jean E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Schwarzbauer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism*; D039001:Integrin alpha Chains / Q000378:metabolism*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D039001:Integrin alpha Chains