GENE INTERACTIONS AFFECTING MECHANOSENSORY TRANSDUCTION IN CAENORHABDITIS-ELEGANS
GENE INTERACTIONS AFFECTING MECHANOSENSORY TRANSDUCTION IN CAENORHABDITIS-ELEGANS
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DOI：
10.1038/367467a0
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发表时间：
1994-02-03
期刊：
影响因子：
64.8
通讯作者：
CHALFIE, M
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
HUANG, MX;CHALFIE, M
遗传筛选已经确定了一组mec（机械感觉）基因，这些基因是秀丽隐杆线虫中一组六个触摸感受器神经元功能所需的1，2。这些基因可能编码机械感觉器的组成部分。我们已经克隆了这些基因之一，mec-10，它是变性蛋白基因家族的成员（如mec-4和deg-1（参考文献3，4），可以突变引起神经变性）。因为大鼠6 -8的阿米洛利敏感性钠通道组分（α、β和γ ENaC）与C. elegans基因，很可能退化蛋白可能作为通道蛋白发挥作用。在这里，我们表明，两个退化蛋白同系物（MEC-4和MEC-10）在相同的细胞中表达，虽然每个提供了一个独特的功能。基于影响mec-10诱导变性的突变的遗传数据，我们提出三个基因（mec-4，mec-10和mec-6）的产物形成了机械感觉所需的复合物，并且其他几个mec基因可能在调节假定的通道复合物中很重要。
GENETIC screening has identified a group of mec (mechanosensory) genes that are required for the function of a set of six touch-receptor neurons in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans1,2. Such genes potentially encode components of the mechanosensory apparatus. We have cloned one of these genes, mec-10, which is a member of the degenerin gene family (genes such as mec-4 and deg-1 (refs 3, 4) that can be mutated to cause neurodegeneration). Because components of an amiloride-sensitive sodium channel (alpha, beta and gammarENaC) from rat6-8 share considerable sequence similarity with the C. elegans genes, it is likely that degenerins may function as channel proteins. Here we show that two degenerin homologues (mec-4 and mec-10) are expressed in the same cells, although each provides a unique function. Based on genetic data of mutations affecting mec-10-induced degeneration, we propose that the products of three genes (mec-4, mec-10 and mec-6) form a complex needed for mechanosensation, and that several other mec genes may be important in regulating the putative channel complex.