Disease relevance of unc-22

• A polyclonal antibody raised against an Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase-unc-22 fusion protein recognizes a polypeptide in nematode extracts that is between 500,000 and 600,000 daltons and labels the muscle A-band in indirect immunofluorescent microscopy [1].

High impact information on unc-22

• Reversion analysis of mutants of unc-22 IV, a gene affecting muscle structure and function in Caenorhabditis elegans, led to the isolation of six extragenic dominant suppressors of the "twitching" phenotype of unc-22 mutants [2].
• The location of the protein in the A-band, along with earlier genetic data, suggests that the unc-22 product may interact with myosin to regulate its function [1].
• The unc-22 gene is one of a set of genes identified using classical genetics that affect muscle structure and function in the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans [1].
• To examine the mutagenic spectrum of 4,5',8-trimethylpsoralen (TMP) in Caenorhabditis elegans, we isolated mutations in the unc-22 and pal-1 genes following TMP mutagenesis and analyzed them for restriction fragment length polymorphisms by Southern blot [3].
• Bergerac has as one of its targets unc-22, a previously uncloned gene on chromosome IV important in assembly and function of the body wall musculature [4].

Biological context of unc-22

• We have examined several of the unc-22 antisense plasmid transformed lines to determine the mechanistic basis for the observed phenotypes [5].
• Four genes are shown by multifactor crosses to map to a 2-3 map unit interval between unc-24 and unc-22 on chromosome IV [6].
• The objective of this paper was the identification and characterization of coding regions in four cosmids containing DNA from the interval between dpy-20 and unc-22 on linkage group IV [7].
• For example, the C. elegans ges-1 5'-flanking region (as well as several introns) contains copies of three different SINE-like sequences, previously identified near the hsp-16 genes, near the unc-22 gene and in a repetitive element CeRep-3; none of these elements are found in the C. briggsae ges-1 gene [8].
• We believe that two of the essential genes identified in this study, let-56 and let-52, are the adjacent genes on either side of unc-22 [9].

Anatomical context of unc-22

• Genetic analysis and complementation by germ-line transformation of lethal mutations in the unc-22 IV region of Caenorhabditis elegans [10].

Associations of unc-22 with chemical compounds

• Because the BO strain is rich in Tc1 insertion sites and the N2 strain has few, the majority of Tc1-bearing genomic fragments in the constructed strain were derived from the unc-22 region [11].
• Five formaldehyde-induced deficiencies that uncover unc-22 IV, a gene affecting muscle structure in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans were isolated and positioned [9].
• Thirty-seven ethyl methane-sulfonate-induced lethal and sterile mutations linked to unc-22 were isolated and tested for complementation with sDf2 [9].
• TMP is not very potent, but a large proportion of TMP-induced unc-22 mutations are small deletions [12].
• Several approaches were taken to measure mutational changes that occurred during the spaceflight including measurement of the integrity of poly-G/poly-C tracts, determination of the mutation frequency in the unc-22 gene, analysis of lethal mutations captured by the genetic balancer eT1(III;V), and identification of alterations in telomere length [13].

Other interactions of unc-22

• The region around the twitcher gene, unc-22, flanked by unc-43 on the left and by unc-31 on the right, has been intensively studied in our laboratory over the period of the last 8 years [11].
• These animals have phenotypes consistent with reduction and/or elimination of function of the gene to which antisense RNA has been produced: twitching and disorganization of muscle filaments for the unc-22 antisense constructs and lack of muscle tone, slow movement, and egg laying defects for the unc-54 antisense constructs [5].
• Partial sequence analysis of unc-22 has previously revealed that its encoded polypeptide, named twitchin, consists of a single protein kinase domain and multiple copies of both an immunoglobulin-like domain and a fibronectin type III-like domain [14].
• To demonstrate its utility we knocked down unc-22 in body wall muscles as well as the axon guidance gene unc-5 in the nervous system indicating that promoter-driven hairpins can overcome the neuronal resistance to RNAi [15].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of unc-22

• Molecular cloning of the muscle gene unc-22 in Caenorhabditis elegans by Tc1 transposon tagging [4].

References