High impact information on let-2

• Type IV collagen in Caenorhabditis elegans is produced by two essential genes, emb-9 and let-2, which encode alpha1- and alpha2-like chains, respectively [1].
• We have determined the nucleotide alterations and phenotypes of 17 mutant alleles of the Caenorhabditis elegans alpha 2(IV) collagen gene let-2 [2].
• We demonstrate by transgenic rescue of mutant animals that the genetic locus encoding the C. elegans alpha 2(IV) collagen gene is let-2 on the X chromosome [3].
• In C. elegans muscle, the existence of a genetic interaction between the unc-105 degenerin gene and let-2, a gene encoding an alpha2(IV) collagen, raised the possibility that UNC-105 may function as a mechanically gated channel in a stretch receptor complex [4].
• In vivo experiments on the alternatively spliced let-2 gene confirm that these conserved regions can be important for alternative splicing regulation [5].

Biological context of let-2

• We have used this technique to study the Caenorhabditis elegans let-2 gene containing two alternative exons and the Drosophilia melanogaster Dscam gene, which contains 12 mutually exclusive exons [6].
• We show that the C. elegans genes are located on separate chromosomes, clb-1 on X and clb-2 on III, demonstrating that the mammalian arrangement is not a requirement for all type IV collagen genes [7].

Anatomical context of let-2

• We have identified and characterized the two genes, clb-1 and clb-2, that encode basement membrane collagen (IV) in Caenorhabditis elegans [7].

References