Basolateral localization of the Caenorhabditis elegans epidermal growth factor receptor in epithelial cells by the PDZ protein LIN-10

Mol Biol Cell. 1999 Jun;10(6):2087-100. doi: 10.1091/mbc.10.6.2087.

Abstract

In Caenorhabditis elegans, the EGF receptor (encoded by let-23) is localized to the basolateral membrane domain of the epithelial vulval precursor cells, where it acts through a conserved Ras/MAP kinase signaling pathway to induce vulval differentiation. lin-10 acts in LET-23 receptor tyrosine kinase basolateral localization, because lin-10 mutations result in mislocalization of LET-23 to the apical membrane domain and cause a signaling defective (vulvaless) phenotype. We demonstrate that the previous molecular identification of lin-10 was incorrect, and we identify a new gene corresponding to the lin-10 genetic locus. lin-10 encodes a protein with regions of similarity to mammalian X11/mint proteins, containing a phosphotyrosine-binding and two PDZ domains. A nonsense lin-10 allele that truncates both PDZ domains only partially reduces lin-10 gene activity, suggesting that these protein interaction domains are not essential for LIN-10 function in vulval induction. Immunocytochemical experiments show that LIN-10 is expressed in vulval epithelial cells and in neurons. LIN-10 is present at low levels in the cytoplasm and at the plasma membrane and at high levels at or near the Golgi. LIN-10 may function in secretion of LET-23 to the basolateral membrane domain, or it may be involved in tethering LET-23 at the basolateral plasma membrane once it is secreted.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / cytology
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / metabolism*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins*
  • Epithelial Cells / metabolism*
  • ErbB Receptors / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Helminth Proteins / genetics*
  • Helminth Proteins / metabolism*
  • Larva / cytology
  • Larva / metabolism
  • Membrane Proteins*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
  • Proteins*
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Subcellular Fractions

Substances

  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
  • Helminth Proteins
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Proteins
  • lin-10 protein, C elegans
  • ErbB Receptors
  • let-23 protein, C elegans