The LIM domain protein UNC-95 is required for the assembly of muscle attachment structures and is regulated by the RING finger protein RNF-5 in C. elegans

J Cell Biol. 2004 Jun 21;165(6):857-67. doi: 10.1083/jcb.200401133.

Abstract

Here, we describe a new muscle LIM domain protein, UNC-95, and identify it as a novel target for the RING finger protein RNF-5 in the Caenorhabditis elegans body wall muscle. unc-95(su33) animals have disorganized muscle actin and myosin-containing filaments as a result of a failure to assemble normal muscle adhesion structures. UNC-95 is active downstream of PAT-3/beta-integrin in the assembly pathways of the muscle dense body and M-line attachments, and upstream of DEB-1/vinculin in the dense body assembly pathway. The translational UNC-95::GFP fusion construct is expressed in dense bodies, M-lines, and muscle-muscle cell boundaries as well as in muscle cell bodies. UNC-95 is partially colocalized with RNF-5 in muscle dense bodies and its expression and localization are regulated by RNF-5. rnf-5(RNAi) or a RING domain deleted mutant, rnf-5(tm794), exhibit structural defects of the muscle attachment sites. Together, our data demonstrate that UNC-95 constitutes an essential component of muscle adhesion sites that is regulated by RNF-5.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Binding Sites
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / physiology*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / chemistry
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / genetics
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism*
  • Carrier Proteins / chemistry
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cell Adhesion
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Muscles / physiology
  • Protein Biosynthesis
  • RNA, Antisense / genetics
  • RNA, Antisense / metabolism
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Transcription, Genetic

Substances

  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • RNA, Antisense
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • RNF-5 protein, C elegans
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Unc-95 protein, C elegans