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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
The Doublecortin-Related Gene Zyg-8 Is A Microtubule Organizer In Caenorhabditis Elegans Neurons, Jean Bellanger, Juan Cueva, Renee Baran, Garland Tang, Miriam Goodman, Anne Debant
The Doublecortin-Related Gene Zyg-8 Is A Microtubule Organizer In Caenorhabditis Elegans Neurons, Jean Bellanger, Juan Cueva, Renee Baran, Garland Tang, Miriam Goodman, Anne Debant
Renee Baran
Doublecortin-domain containing (DCDC) genes play key roles in the normal and pathological development of the human brain cortex. The origin of the cellular specialisation and the functional redundancy of these microtubule (MT)-associated proteins (MAPs), especially those of Doublecortin (DCX) and Doublecortin-like kinase (DCLKs) genes, is still unclear. The DCX domain has the ability to control MT architecture and bundling. However, the physiological significance of such properties is not fully understood. To address these issues, we sought post-mitotic roles for zyg-8, the sole representative of the DCX–DCLK subfamily of genes in C. elegans. Previously, zyg-8 has been shown to control anaphase-spindle …
Motor Neuron Synapse And Axon Defects In A C. Elegans Alpha-Tubulin Mutant, Renee Baran, Liliana Castelblanco, Garland Tang, Ian Shapiro, Alexandr Goncharov, Yishi Jin
Motor Neuron Synapse And Axon Defects In A C. Elegans Alpha-Tubulin Mutant, Renee Baran, Liliana Castelblanco, Garland Tang, Ian Shapiro, Alexandr Goncharov, Yishi Jin
Renee Baran
Regulation of microtubule dynamics underlies many fundamental cellular mechanisms including cell division, cell motility, and transport. In neurons, microtubules play key roles in cell migration, axon outgrowth, control of axon and synapse growth, and the regulated transport of vesicles and structural components of synapses. Loss of synapse and axon integrity and disruption of axon transport characterize many neurodegenerative diseases. Recently, mutations that specifically alter the assembly or stability of microtubules have been found to directly cause neurodevelopmental defects or neurodegeneration in vertebrates. We report here the characterization of a missense mutation in the C-terminal domain of C. elegans alpha-tubulin, tba-1(ju89), …
Syd-1, A Presynaptic Protein With Pdz, C2 And Rhogap-Like Domains, Specifies Axon Identity In C. Elegans, Steven Hallam, Alexandr Goncharov, Jason Mcewen, Renee Baran, Yishi Jin
Syd-1, A Presynaptic Protein With Pdz, C2 And Rhogap-Like Domains, Specifies Axon Identity In C. Elegans, Steven Hallam, Alexandr Goncharov, Jason Mcewen, Renee Baran, Yishi Jin
Renee Baran
Axons are defined by the presence of presynaptic specializations at specific locations. We show here that loss-of-function mutations in the C. elegans gene syd-1 cause presynaptic specializations to form in the dendritic processes of GABA-expressing motor neurons during initial differentiation. At a later developmental stage, however, syd-1 is not required for the polarity respecification of a subset of these neurons. The SYD-1 protein contains PDZ, C2 and rho–GTPase activating protein (GAP)-like domains, and is localized to presynaptic terminals in mature neurons. A truncated SYD-1 that lacks the rhoGAP domain interferes with neurite outgrowth and guidance. Our data indicate that syd-1 …
Getting A Grip On Liprins, Renee Baran, Yishi Jin
Getting A Grip On Liprins, Renee Baran, Yishi Jin
Renee Baran
Two papers in this issue of Neuron add a new dimension to our understanding of liprin and LAR RPTP function during synapse formation. Kaufmann et al. (2002) present evidence that Dliprin-α interacts with Dlar to regulate presynaptic morphogenesis of the Drosophila neuromuscular junction. Wyszynski et al. (2002) demonstrate that mammalian liprin-α1 forms a complex with the PDZ protein GRIP and LAR in both pre- and postsynaptic compartments of hippocampal neurons and is required for the clustering of the GluR2 glutamate receptor in dendritic spines.
Molecular Identification Of Smg-4, Required For Mrna Surveillance In C.Elegans, Rachel Aronoff, Renee Baran, Jonathan Hodgkin
Molecular Identification Of Smg-4, Required For Mrna Surveillance In C.Elegans, Rachel Aronoff, Renee Baran, Jonathan Hodgkin
Renee Baran
Premature termination codons trigger a process in eukaryotes known as nonsense mediated decay or mRNA surveillance, resulting in the rapid decay of the aberrant transcript. Studies in C.elegans have shown this system is mediated by seven smg genes and can prevent the accumulation of toxic, truncated peptides. Here we report the cloning of smg-4 by physical mapping and functional rescue assays. The minimal rescuing activity is found within a genomic operon, encoding a novel protein. The final exon of the gene is alternatively spliced for expression of two different isoforms. Although no known genes were found to exhibit significant homology …
The C. Elegans Homeodomain Gene Unc-42 Regulates Chemosensory And Glutamate Receptor Expression, Renee Baran, Rachel Aronoff, Gian Garriga
The C. Elegans Homeodomain Gene Unc-42 Regulates Chemosensory And Glutamate Receptor Expression, Renee Baran, Rachel Aronoff, Gian Garriga
Renee Baran
Genes that specify cell fate can influence multiple aspects of neuronal differentiation, including axon guidance, target selection and synapse formation. Mutations in the unc-42 gene disrupt axon guidance along the C. elegans ventral nerve cord and cause distinct functional defects in sensory-locomotory neural circuits. Here we show that unc-42 encodes a novel homeodomain protein that specifies the fate of three classes of neurons in the Caenorhabditis elegans nervous system: the ASH polymodal sensory neurons, the AVA, AVD and AVE interneurons that mediate repulsive sensory stimuli to the nematode head and anterior body, and a subset of motor neurons that innervate …
Genes That Guide Growth Cones Along The C. Elegans Ventral Nerve Cord, Bruce Wightman, Renee Baran, Gian Garriga
Genes That Guide Growth Cones Along The C. Elegans Ventral Nerve Cord, Bruce Wightman, Renee Baran, Gian Garriga
Renee Baran
During nervous system development, growth cone pioneering and fasciculation contribute to nerve bundle structure. Pioneer growth cones initially navigate along neuroglia to establish an axon scaffold that guides later extending growth cones. In C. elegans, the growth cone of the PVPR neuron pioneers the left ventral nerve cord bundle, providing a path for the embryonic extensions of the PVQL and AVKR growth cones. Later during larval development, the HSNL growth cone follows cues in the left ventral nerve cord bundle provided by the PVPR and PVQL axons. Here we show that mutations in the genes enu-1, fax-1, unc-3, unc-30, unc-42 …