Ciliogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans requires genetic interactions between ciliary middle segment localized NPHP-2 (inversin) and transition zone-associated proteins

J Cell Sci. 2012 Jun 1;125(Pt 11):2592-603. doi: 10.1242/jcs.095539. Epub 2012 Mar 5.

Abstract

The cystic kidney diseases nephronophthisis (NPHP), Meckel-Gruber syndrome (MKS) and Joubert syndrome (JBTS) share an underlying etiology of dysfunctional cilia. Patients diagnosed with NPHP type II have mutations in the gene INVS (also known as NPHP2), which encodes inversin, a cilia localizing protein. Here, we show that the C. elegans inversin ortholog, NPHP-2, localizes to the middle segment of sensory cilia and that nphp-2 is partially redundant with nphp-1 and nphp-4 (orthologs of human NPHP1 and NPHP4, respectively) for cilia placement within the head and tail sensilla. nphp-2 also genetically interacts with MKS ciliopathy gene orthologs, including mks-1, mks-3, mks-6, mksr-1 and mksr-2, in a sensilla-dependent manner to control cilia formation and placement. However, nphp-2 is not required for correct localization of the NPHP- and MKS-encoded ciliary transition zone proteins or for intraflagellar transport (IFT). We conclude that INVS/NPHP2 is conserved in C. elegans and that nphp-2 plays an important role in C. elegans cilia by acting as a modifier of the NPHP and MKS pathways to control cilia formation and development.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biological Transport
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / genetics*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism
  • Cilia / metabolism*
  • Coloring Agents / metabolism
  • Dendrites / metabolism
  • Flagella / metabolism
  • Genes, Helminth / genetics
  • Humans
  • Models, Biological
  • Organogenesis / genetics*
  • Protein Isoforms / genetics
  • Protein Isoforms / metabolism
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Transcription Factors / genetics*
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
  • Coloring Agents
  • NPHP-2 protein, C elegans
  • Protein Isoforms
  • Transcription Factors