biostudies-literatureUnknown27(6)Jiang LSouthern University of Science and TechnologyMuscle contraction is vital for animal survival, and the sarcomere is the fundamental unit for this process. However, the functions of many conserved sarcomere proteins remain unknown, as their mutants do not exhibit obvious defects. To address this, <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> was utilized as a model organism to investigate RSU-1 function in the body wall muscle. RSU-1 is found to colocalize with UNC-97 at the dense body and M-line, and it is particularly crucial for regulating locomotion in aging worms, rather than in young worms. This suggests that RSU-1 has a specific function in maintaining muscle function during aging. Furthermore, the interaction between RSU-1 and UNC-97/PINCH is essential for RSU-1 to modulate locomotion, preserve filament structure, and sustain the M-line and deiScience109854https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11112334biostudies-literatureRSU-1 regulates the integrity of dense bodies in muscle cells of aging <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>.PMC11112334Jiang LZhang DYee Yuen KWWang XTse YCfalseRSU-1 regulates the integrity of dense bodies in muscle cells of aging <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>.Muscle contraction is vital for animal survival, and the sarcomere is the fundamental unit for this process. However, the functions of many conserved sarcomere proteins remain unknown, as their mutants do not exhibit obvious defects. To address this, <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> was utilized as a model organism to investigate RSU-1 function in the body wall muscle. RSU-1 is found to colocalize with UNC-97 at the dense body and M-line, and it is particularly crucial for regulating locomotion in aging worms, rather than in young worms. This suggests that RSU-1 has a specific function in maintaining muscle function during aging. Furthermore, the interaction between RSU-1 and UNC-97/PINCH is essential for RSU-1 to modulate locomotion, preserve filament structure, and sustain the M-line and de2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 Jun2026-06-01T21:18:30.221Z2026-05-21T03:08:06.633ZS-EPMC111123343878400610.1016/j.isci.2024.109854