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PMID: 8107682 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

The Caenorhabditis elegans unc-60 gene encodes proteins homologous to a family of actin-binding proteins.

Molecular & general genetics : MGG ·Vol. 242 ·No. 3 ·1994-02-00 ·Pages 346-57

McKim KS, Matheson C, Marra MA, Wakarchuk MF, Baillie DL

Abstract

Mutations in the unc-60 gene of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans result in paralysis. The thin filaments of the muscle cells are severely disorganized and not bundled with myosin into functional contractile units. Here we report the cloning and sequence of unc-60. Two unc-60 transcripts, 1.3 and 0.7 kb in size, were detected. The transcripts share a single exon encoding only the initial methionine, yet encode proteins with homologous sequences. The predicted protein products are 165 and 152 amino acids in length and their sequences are 38% identical. Both proteins are homologous to a family of actin depolymerizing proteins identified in vertebrate, plant and protozoan systems. We propose that the unc-60 locus encodes proteins that depolymerize growing actin filaments in muscle cells, and that these proteins are required for the assembly of actin filaments into the contractile myofilament lattice of C. elegans muscle. unc-60 has an essential function in development, since one unc-60 allele, s1586, has a recessive lethal phenotype. Our characterization of s1586 has shown that it is a small deletion which disrupts both coding regions.

Related Genes
unc-60
MeSH Terms
Amino Acid Sequence Animals Base Sequence Caenorhabditis elegans/genetics Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins Cloning, Molecular Conserved Sequence DNA Genes, Helminth Helminth Proteins/genetics Humans Introns Microfilament Proteins/genetics Molecular Sequence Data Multigene Family RNA, Messenger/analysis Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid Restriction Mapping Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
Chemicals
Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins Helminth Proteins Microfilament Proteins RNA, Messenger UNC-60 protein, C elegans DNA
Authors & Affiliations
5 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
McKim K S
Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C. Canada.
Matheson C
Marra M A
Wakarchuk M F
Baillie D L
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Article Info
Journal
Molecular & general genetics : MGG
Abbr.
Mol Gen Genet
ISSN
0026-8925
DOI
10.1007/BF00280425
Published
1994-02-00
Pages
346-57
Language
English
Region
Germany
NLM ID
0125036
Subset
IM
Databases
GENBANK
L18963
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1007/BF00280425
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