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Published on: March 17, 2011
The actin-binding protein UNC-115 is an effector of Rac signaling during axon pathfinding in C. elegans
Eric C Struckhoff1, Erik A Lundquist
1Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045-7534, USA.
Abstract:
Rac GTPases control cell shape by regulating downstream effectors that influence the actin cytoskeleton. UNC-115, a putative actin-binding protein similar to human abLIM/limatin, has previously been implicated in axon pathfinding. We have discovered the role of UNC-115 as a downstream cytoskeletal effector of Rac signaling in axon pathfinding. We show that unc-115 double mutants with ced-10 Rac, mig-2 Rac or unc-73 GEF but not with rac-2/3 Rac displayed synthetic axon pathfinding defects, and that loss of unc-115 function suppressed the formation of ectopic plasma membrane extensions induced by constitutively-active rac-2 in neurons. Furthermore, we show that UNC-115 can bind to actin filaments. Thus, UNC-115 is an actin-binding protein that acts downstream of Rac signaling in axon pathfinding.
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