THE MEC-4 GENE IS A MEMBER OF A FAMILY OF CAENORHABDITIS-ELEGANS GENES THAT CAN MUTATE TO INDUCE NEURONAL DEGENERATION

被引:471
作者
DRISCOLL, M
CHALFIE, M
机构
[1] Department of Biological Sciences, 1012 Sherman Failchild Center, Columbia University, New York
关键词
D O I
10.1038/349588a0
中图分类号
O [数理科学和化学]; P [天文学、地球科学]; Q [生物科学]; N [自然科学总论];
学科分类号
07 ; 0710 ; 09 ;
摘要
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.
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页码:588 / 593
页数:6
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