UNC-16, a JNK-signaling scaffold protein, regulates vesicle transport in C. elegans

Neuron. 2001 Dec 6;32(5):787-800. doi: 10.1016/s0896-6273(01)00532-3.

Abstract

Transport of synaptic components is a regulated process. Loss-of-function mutations in the C. elegans unc-16 gene result in the mislocalization of synaptic vesicle and glutamate receptor markers. unc-16 encodes a homolog of mouse JSAP1/JIP3 and Drosophila Sunday Driver. Like JSAP1/JIP3, UNC-16 physically interacts with JNK and JNK kinases. Deletion mutations in Caenorhabditis elegans JNK and JNK kinases result in similar mislocalization of synaptic vesicle markers and enhance weak unc-16 mutant phenotypes. unc-116 kinesin heavy chain mutants also mislocalize synaptic vesicle markers, as well as a functional UNC-16::GFP. Intriguingly, unc-16 mutations partially suppress the vesicle retention defect in unc-104 KIF1A kinesin mutants. Our results suggest that UNC-16 may regulate the localization of vesicular cargo by integrating JNK signaling and kinesin-1 transport.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing*
  • Animals
  • Biological Transport, Active / genetics
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / metabolism
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / physiology*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / genetics
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / physiology*
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism
  • Cell Line
  • Drosophila
  • Gene Deletion
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Humans
  • JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
  • Luminescent Proteins / genetics
  • Luminescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / genetics
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation / physiology
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism
  • Neurons / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / metabolism*
  • Rabbits
  • Receptors, Glutamate / genetics
  • Receptors, Glutamate / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Signal Transduction / physiology*
  • Synaptic Vesicles / genetics
  • Synaptic Vesicles / metabolism*

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Luminescent Proteins
  • MAPK8IP3 protein, human
  • Mapk8ip3 protein, mouse
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun
  • Receptors, Glutamate
  • unc-16 protein, C elegans
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AF424978