Abstract
Mutations in the gene lin-17 result in the disruption of a variety of asymmetric cell divisions in Caenorhabditis elegans. We have found that lin- 17 encodes a protein with seven putative transmembrane domains. The LIN-17 protein is most similar to the Drosophila Frizzled protein and its vertebrate homologs. Studies using a lin-17-green fluorescent protein translational fusion indicate that lin-17 is expressed in mother cells before asymmetric cell divisions and in both daughter cells after the divisions. Our results suggest that lin-17 encodes a receptor that regulates the polarities of cells undergoing asymmetric cell divisions and raise the possibility that the LIN- 17 protein acts as a receptor for the Wnt protein LIN-44, which also controls asymmetric cell divisions.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 2189-2197 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Genes and Development |
Volume | 10 |
Issue number | 17 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1 Jan 1996 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Asymmetric cell division
- C. elegans
- Wnt genes
- cell polarity
- frizzled
- lin-17
- lin-44
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Genetics
- Developmental Biology