Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The mec-4 gene is a member of a family of Caenorhabditis elegans genes that can mutate to induce neuronal degeneration

  • Article
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

Three dominant mutations of mec-4, a gene needed for mechanosensation, cause the touch-receptor neurons of Caenorhabditis elegans to degenerate. With deg-1, another C. elegans gene that can mutate to induce neuronal degeneration and that is similar in sequence, mec-4 defines a new gene family. Cross-hybridizing sequences are detectable in other species, raising the possibility that degenerative conditions in other organisms may be caused by mutations in similar genes. All three dominant mec-4 mutations affect the same amino acid. Effects of amino-acid substitutions at this position suggest that steric hindrance may induce the degenerative state.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Chalfie, M. & Sulston, J. Devl. Biol. 82, 358–370 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Chalfie, M. & Wolinsky, E. Nature 345, 410–416 (1990).

    Article  CAS  ADS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Coombe, P. E. & Heisenberg, M. J. Neurogenet. 3, 135–158 (1986).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Adams, R. D. & Victor, M. 3rd Edn, in Principles of Neurology 859–901 (McGraw Hill, New York, 1985).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Chalfie, M. & Au, M. Science 243, 1027–1033 (1989).

    Article  CAS  ADS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Way, J. C. & Chalfie, M. Genes Dev. 3, 1823–1833 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Herman, R. K. Genetics 116, 377–388 (1987).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Ellis, H. M. & Horvitz, H. R. Cell 44, 817–829 (1986).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Coulson, A., Sulston, J., Brenner, S. & Karn, J. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 83, 7821–7825 (1986).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Kyte, J. & Doolittle, R. F. J. molec. Biol. 157, 105–132 (1982).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Carpenter, G. A. Rev. Biochem. 56, 881–914 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Yamamoto, T., Bishop, R. W., Brown, M. S., Goldstein, J. L. & Russell, D. W. Science 232, 1230–1237 (1986).

    Article  CAS  ADS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Herz, J. et al. EMBO J. 7, 4119–4127 (1988).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. Shirai, T. et al J. Biochem. 103, 281–285 (1988).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Kayano, T., Noda, M., Flockerzi, V., Takahashi, H. & Numa, S. FEBS Lett. 228, 187–194 (1888).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Noda, M. et al Nature 312, 121–127 (1984).

    Article  CAS  ADS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Noda, M. et al Nature 320, 188–192 (1986).

    Article  CAS  ADS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Coulondre, C. & Miller, J. H. J. molec. Biol. 117, 577–606 (1977).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Garnier, J., Osguthorpe, D. J. & Robson, B. J. molec. Biol. 120, 97–120 (1978).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Doh-ura, K., Tateishi, J., Saski, H., Kitamoto, T. Sakai, Y. Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun. 163, 974–979 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Gustin, M. C., Zhou, X.-L., Martinac, B. & Kung, C. Science 242, 762–765 (1988).

    Article  CAS  ADS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Hirano, A. & Dembitzer, H. M. J. Neuropath. exp. Neurol. 34, 1–11 (1974).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Caddy, K. W. T. & Briscoe, T. J. Brain Res. 91, 276–280 (1975).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Landis, S. C. & Mullen, R. J. J. comp. Neurol. 177, 125–144 (1978).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Duchen, L. W. & Strich, S. J. (appendix, Falconer, D.S.) J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiat. 31, 535–542 (1968).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  26. Green, M. C., Sidman, R. L. & Pivetta, O. H. Science 176, 800–805 (1972).

    Article  CAS  ADS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Messer, A., Strominger, N. L. & Mazurkiewicz, J. E. J. Neurogenet. 4, 201–213 (1987).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Hayden, M. R. Huntington's Chorea (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1981).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  29. Mulder, D. W., Kurland, L. T., Offord, K. P. & Beard, M. Neurol. 36, 511–517 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Fire, A. EMBO J. 5, 2673–2680 (1986).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  31. Kramer, J., French, R. P., Park, E. & Johnson, J. J. Molec. cell. Biol. 10, 2081–2089 (1990).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  32. Stinchcomb, D. T., Shaw, J. E., Carr, S. H. & Hirsh, D. Molec. cell. Biol. 5, 3484–3496 (1985).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  33. Sanger, F., Nicklen, S. & Coulson, A. R. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 5463–5467 (1977).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  34. Kunkel, T. A., Roberts, J. D. & Zakar, R. A. Meth. Enzym. 154, 367–382 (1987).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Emmons, S. & Esner, L. Cell 36, 599–605 (1984).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Sambrook, J., Fritsch, E. F. & Maniatis, T. Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual 2nd Edn (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, 1989).

    Google Scholar 

  37. Brenner, S. Genetics 77, 71–94 (1974).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  38. Collins, J., Saari, B. & Anderson, P. Nature 328, 726–728 (1987).

    Article  CAS  ADS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Emmons, S. C., Klass, M. R., & Hirsch, D. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 76, 1333–1337 (1979).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  40. Palazzolo, M. J. et al. Gene 88, 25–36 (1990).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Henikoff, S. Gene 28, 351–359 (1984).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Queen, C. & Korn, L. J. Nucleic Acids Res. 12, 581–599 (1984).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  43. Pearson, W. R. & Lipman, D. J. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85, 2444–2448 (1988).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  44. Southern, E. M. J. molec. Biol. 98, 503–517 (1975).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, 1012 Sherman Failchild Center, Columbia University, New York, New York, 10027, USA

    Monica Driscoll & Martin Chalfie

Authors
  1. Monica Driscoll
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Martin Chalfie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Driscoll, M., Chalfie, M. The mec-4 gene is a member of a family of Caenorhabditis elegans genes that can mutate to induce neuronal degeneration. Nature 349, 588–593 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1038/349588a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/349588a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation