The UNC-112 gene in Caenorhabditis elegans encodes a novel component of cell-matrix adhesion structures required for integrin localization in the muscle cell membrane.
Abstract — Entities Highlighted
Gene/ProteinChemicalDiseasePhenotypeAnatomyDev. Stage
Embryos homozygous for mutations in the unc-52, pat-2, pat-3, and unc-112 genes of C. elegans exhibit a similar Pat phenotype. Myosin and actin are not organized into sarcomeres in the body wall muscle cells of these mutants, and dense body and M-line components fail to assemble. The unc-52 (perlecan), pat-2 (alpha-integrin), and pat-3 (beta-integrin) genes encode ECM or transmembrane proteins found at the cell-matrix adhesion sites of both dense bodies and M-lines. This study describes the identification of the unc-112 gene product, a novel, membrane-associated, intracellular protein that colocalizes with integrin at cell-matrix adhesion complexes. The 720-amino acid UNC-112 protein is homologous to Mig-2, a human protein of unknown function. These two proteins share a region of homology with talin and members of the FERM superfamily of proteins. We have determined that a functional UNC-112::GFP fusion protein colocalizes with PAT-3/beta-integrin in both adult and embryonic body wall muscle. We also have determined that UNC-112 is required to organize PAT-3/beta-integrin after it is integrated into the basal cell membrane, but is not required to organize UNC-52/perlecan in the basement membrane, nor for DEB-1/vinculin to localize with PAT-3/beta-integrin. Furthermore, UNC-112 requires the presence of UNC-52/perlecan and PAT-3/beta-integrin, but not DEB-1/vinculin to become localized to the muscle cell membrane.
Relation Network
Specialists Used
gene_gene: 8gene_expression: 7
All Extracted Relations (16)
| Entity 1 | Relation | Entity 2 | Confidence | Specialist | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNC-112 | expressed in | muscle cell | 100% | gene_expression | supports |
| UNC-112 | regulation | PAT-3 | 100% | gene_gene | supports |
| UNC-112 | regulation | DEB-1 | 100% | gene_gene | supports |
| UNC-52 | regulation | DEB-1 | 100% | gene_gene | supports |
| UNC-112 | regulation | PAT-3 | 100% | gene_gene | supports |
| PAT-3 | regulation | DEB-1 | 100% | gene_gene | supports |
| UNC-52 | regulation | PAT-3 | 100% | gene_gene | supports |
| unc-112 | expressed in | cell | 100% | gene_expression | supports |
| PAT-3 | expressed in | cell | 100% | gene_expression | supports |
| UNC-112 | regulation | PAT-3 | 99% | gene_gene | supports |
| pat-2 | expressed in | cell | 99% | gene_expression | supports |
| PAT-3 | regulation | PAT-3 | 98% | gene_gene | supports |
| UNC-112 | expressed in | body wall muscle | 94% | gene_expression | supports |
| UNC-112 | expressed in | cell | 93% | gene_expression | supports |
| UNC-52 | expressed in | basement membrane | 71% | gene_expression | supports |
| UNC-112 | localizes to | UNC-52 | 56% | — | supports |