Liu J, Schrank B, Waterston R H
Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
Science. 1996 Jul 19;273(5273):361-4. doi: 10.1126/science.273.5273.361.
The degenerin family of proteins in Caenorhabditis elegans is homologous to subunits of the mammalian amiloride-sensitive epithelial sodium channels. Mutations in nematode degenerins cause cell death, probably because of defects in channel function. Genetic evidence was obtained that the unc-105 gene product represents a degenerin homolog affecting C. elegans muscles and that this putative channel interacts with type IV collagen in the extracellular matrix underlying the muscle cell. This interaction may serve as a mechanism of stretch-activated muscle contraction, and this system could provide a molecular model for the activation of mechanosensitive ion channels.
秀丽隐杆线虫中的退化蛋白家族与哺乳动物的氨氯地平敏感上皮钠通道亚基同源。线虫退化蛋白的突变会导致细胞死亡，这可能是由于通道功能缺陷所致。已获得遗传证据表明，unc-105基因产物代表一种影响秀丽隐杆线虫肌肉的退化蛋白同源物，并且这种假定的通道与肌肉细胞下方细胞外基质中的IV型胶原相互作用。这种相互作用可能是拉伸激活肌肉收缩的一种机制，并且该系统可为机械敏感离子通道的激活提供分子模型。
