The novel Rac effector RIN-1 regulates neuronal cell migration and axon pathfinding in C. elegans

2013 ◽  
Vol 126 (16) ◽  
pp. e1-e1
Author(s):  
M. Doi ◽  
H. Minematsu ◽  
Y. Kubota ◽  
K. Nishiwaki ◽  
M. Miyamoto
Development ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 140 (16) ◽  
pp. 3435-3444 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Doi ◽  
H. Minematsu ◽  
Y. Kubota ◽  
K. Nishiwaki ◽  
M. Miyamoto

2006 ◽  
Vol 289 (1) ◽  
pp. 229-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Y. Zinovyeva ◽  
Serena M. Graham ◽  
Veronica J. Cloud ◽  
Wayne C. Forrester

Development ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 128 (22) ◽  
pp. 4475-4488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik A. Lundquist ◽  
Peter W. Reddien ◽  
Erika Hartwieg ◽  
H. Robert Horvitz ◽  
Cornelia I. Bargmann

The Caenorhabditis elegans genome contains three rac-like genes, ced-10, mig-2, and rac-2. We report that ced-10, mig-2 and rac-2 act redundantly in axon pathfinding: inactivating one gene had little effect, but inactivating two or more genes perturbed both axon outgrowth and guidance. mig-2 and ced-10 also have redundant functions in some cell migrations. By contrast, ced-10 is uniquely required for cell-corpse phagocytosis, and mig-2 and rac-2 have only subtle roles in this process. Rac activators are also used differentially. The UNC-73 Trio Rac GTP exchange factor affected all Rac pathways in axon pathfinding and cell migration but did not affect cell-corpse phagocytosis. CED-5 DOCK180, which acts with CED-10 Rac in cell-corpse phagocytosis, acted with MIG-2 but not CED-10 in axon pathfinding. Thus, distinct regulatory proteins modulate Rac activation and function in different developmental processes.


Development ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 122 (10) ◽  
pp. 3117-3131 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Harris ◽  
L. Honigberg ◽  
N. Robinson ◽  
C. Kenyon

In C. elegans, the Hox gene mab-5, which specifies the fates of cells in the posterior body region, has been shown to direct the migrations of certain cells within its domain of function. mab-5 expression switches on in the neuroblast QL as it migrates into the posterior body region. mab-5 activity is then required for the descendants of QL to migrate to posterior rather than anterior positions. What information activates Hox gene expression during this cell migration? How are these cells subsequently guided to their final positions? We address these questions by describing four genes, egl-20, mig-14, mig-1 and lin-17, that are required to activate expression of mab-5 during migration of the QL neuroblast. We find that two of these genes, egl-20 and mig-14, also act in a mab-5-independent way to determine the final stopping points of the migrating Q descendants. The Q descendants do not migrate toward any obvious physical targets in wild-type or mutant animals. Therefore, these genes appear to be part of a system that positions the migrating Q descendants along the anteroposterior axis.


2008 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 2154-2168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corey L. Williams ◽  
Marlene E. Winkelbauer ◽  
Jenny C. Schafer ◽  
Edward J. Michaud ◽  
Bradley K. Yoder

Meckel-Gruber syndrome (MKS), nephronophthisis (NPHP), and Joubert syndrome (JBTS) are a group of heterogeneous cystic kidney disorders with partially overlapping loci. Many of the proteins associated with these diseases interact and localize to cilia and/or basal bodies. One of these proteins is MKS1, which is disrupted in some MKS patients and contains a B9 motif of unknown function that is found in two other mammalian proteins, B9D2 and B9D1. Caenorhabditis elegans also has three B9 proteins: XBX-7 (MKS1), TZA-1 (B9D2), and TZA-2 (B9D1). Herein, we report that the C. elegans B9 proteins form a complex that localizes to the base of cilia. Mutations in the B9 genes do not overtly affect cilia formation unless they are in combination with a mutation in nph-1 or nph-4, the homologues of human genes (NPHP1 and NPHP4, respectively) that are mutated in some NPHP patients. Our data indicate that the B9 proteins function redundantly with the nephrocystins to regulate the formation and/or maintenance of cilia and dendrites in the amphid and phasmid ciliated sensory neurons. Together, these data suggest that the human homologues of the novel B9 genes B9D2 and B9D1 will be strong candidate loci for pathologies in human MKS, NPHP, and JBTS.


2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (12) ◽  
pp. 1437-1450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Divyesh Joshi ◽  
Maneesha S. Inamdar

Blood vessel formation requires endothelial cell (EC) migration that depends on dynamic remodeling of the cytoskeleton. Rudhira/Breast Carcinoma Amplified Sequence 3 (BCAS3) is a cytoskeletal protein essential for EC migration and sprouting angiogenesis during mouse development and is implicated in metastatic disease. Here, we report that Rudhira mediates cytoskeleton organization and dynamics during EC migration. Rudhira binds to both microtubules (MTs) and vimentin intermediate filaments (IFs) and stabilizes MTs. Rudhira depletion impairs cytoskeletal cross-talk, MT stability, and hence focal adhesion disassembly. The BCAS3 domain of Rudhira is necessary and sufficient for MT-IF cross-linking and cell migration. Pharmacologically restoring MT stability rescues gross cytoskeleton organization and angiogenic sprouting in Rudhira-depleted cells. Our study identifies the novel and essential role of Rudhira in cytoskeletal cross-talk and assigns function to the conserved BCAS3 domain. Targeting Rudhira could allow tissue-restricted cytoskeleton modulation to control cell migration and angiogenesis in development and disease.


2005 ◽  
Vol 25 (12) ◽  
pp. 5158-5170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yieyie Yang ◽  
Erik A. Lundquist

ABSTRACT The roles of actin-binding proteins in development and morphogenesis are not well understood. The actin-binding protein UNC-115 has been implicated in cytoskeletal signaling downstream of Rac in Caenorhabditis elegans axon pathfinding, but the cellular role of UNC-115 in this process remains undefined. Here we report that UNC-115 overactivity in C. elegans neurons promotes the formation of neurites and lamellipodial and filopodial extensions similar to those induced by activated Rac and normally found in C. elegans growth cones. We show that UNC-115 activity in neuronal morphogenesis is enhanced by two molecular mechanisms: when ectopically driven to the plasma membrane by the myristoylation sequence of c-Src, and by mutation of a putative serine phosphorylation site in the actin-binding domain of UNC-115. In support of the hypothesis that UNC-115 modulates actin cytoskeletal organization, we show that UNC-115 activity in serum-starved NIH 3T3 fibroblasts results in the formation of lamellipodia and filopodia. We conclude that UNC-115 is a novel regulator of the formation of lamellipodia and filopodia in neurons, possibly in the growth cone during axon pathfinding.


2008 ◽  
Vol 105 (52) ◽  
pp. 20804-20809 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Kubota ◽  
K. Ohkura ◽  
K. K. Tamai ◽  
K. Nagata ◽  
K. Nishiwaki

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