Nature 1991 Feb 14;349(6310):588-593

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

Driscoll M, Chalfie M

Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027.

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.

MeSH Terms:

• Amino Acid Sequence
• Animal
• Base Sequence
• Caenorhabditis/genetics*
• Chromosome Mapping
• Cloning, Molecular
• Comparative Study
• Genes, Structural
• Genetic Complementation Test
• Mechanoreceptors/physiology*
• Molecular Sequence Data
• Multigene Family
• Mutation
• Nerve Degeneration*
• Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length
• Restriction Mapping
• Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
• Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
• Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
• Touch/physiology

Gene Symbols:

• mec-6
• deg-1
• mec-4