Abstract
Calcineurin is a Ca2+-calmodulin-dependent serine/threonine protein phosphatase that has been implicated in various signaling pathways. Here we report the identification and characterization of calcineurin genes in Caenorhabditis elegans (cna-1 and cnb-1), which share high homology with Drosophila and mammalian calcineurin genes. C. elegans calcineurin binds calcium and functions as a heterodimeric protein phosphatase establishing its biochemical conservation in the nematode. Calcineurin is expressed in hypodermal seam cells, body-wall muscle, vulva muscle, neuronal cells, and in sperm and the spermatheca. cnb-1 mutants showed pleiotropic defects including lethargic movement and delayed egg-laying. Interestingly, these characteristic defects resembled phenotypes observed in gain-of-function mutants of unc-43/Ca2+-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and goa-1/Go-protein α-subunit. Double mutants of cnb-1 and unc-43(gf) displayed an apparent synergistic severity of movement and egg-laying defects, suggesting that caldneurin may have an antagonistic role in CaMKII-regulated phosphorylation signaling pathways in C. elegans.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 3281-3293 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | Molecular Biology of the Cell |
Volume | 13 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2002 Sep |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology