Conditional dominant mutations in the Caenorhabditis elegans gene act-2 identify cytoplasmic and muscle roles for a redundant actin isoform.

ABSTRACT: Animal genomes each encode multiple highly conserved actin isoforms that polymerize to form the microfilament cytoskeleton. Previous studies of vertebrates and invertebrates have shown that many actin isoforms are restricted to either nonmuscle (cytoplasmic) functions, or to myofibril force generation in muscle cells. We have identified two temperature-sensitive and semidominant embryonic-lethal Caenorhabditis elegans mutants, each with a single mis-sense mutation in act-2, one of five C. elegans genes that encode actin isoforms. These mutations alter conserved and adjacent amino acids predicted to form part of the ATP binding pocket of actin. At the restrictive temperature, both mutations resulted in aberrant distributions of cortical microfilaments associated with abnormal and striking m

SUBMITTER: Willis JH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1382297 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature