Two heteromeric kinesin complexes in chemosensory neurons and sensory cilia of Caenorhabditis elegans

Mol Biol Cell. 1999 Feb;10(2):345-60. doi: 10.1091/mbc.10.2.345.

Abstract

Chemosensation in the nervous system of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans depends on sensory cilia, whose assembly and maintenance requires the transport of components such as axonemal proteins and signal transduction machinery to their site of incorporation into ciliary structures. Members of the heteromeric kinesin family of microtubule motors are prime candidates for playing key roles in these transport events. Here we describe the molecular characterization and partial purification of two heteromeric kinesin complexes from C. elegans, heterotrimeric CeKinesin-II and dimeric CeOsm-3. Transgenic worms expressing green fluorescent protein driven by endogenous heteromeric kinesin promoters reveal that both CeKinesin-II and CeOsm-3 are expressed in amphid, inner labial, and phasmid chemosensory neurons. Additionally, immunolocalization experiments on fixed worms show an intense concentration of CeKinesin-II and CeOsm-3 polypeptides in the ciliated endings of these chemosensory neurons and a punctate localization pattern in the corresponding cell bodies and dendrites. These results, together with the phenotypes of known mutants in the pathway of sensory ciliary assembly, suggest that CeKinesin-II and CeOsm-3 drive the transport of ciliary components required for sequential steps in the assembly of chemosensory cilia.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / metabolism*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins*
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / chemistry
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Chemoreceptor Cells / metabolism*
  • Cilia / metabolism*
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Gene Expression
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Helminth Proteins / chemistry
  • Helminth Proteins / genetics
  • Helminth Proteins / metabolism
  • Holoenzymes / chemistry
  • Holoenzymes / genetics
  • Holoenzymes / metabolism
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Kinesins / chemistry
  • Kinesins / genetics
  • Kinesins / metabolism*
  • Luminescent Proteins / genetics
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Muscle Proteins / chemistry
  • Muscle Proteins / genetics
  • Muscle Proteins / metabolism
  • Mutation
  • Neurons / metabolism
  • Phenotype
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Protein Conformation
  • Receptors, Cell Surface
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid

Substances

  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins
  • Helminth Proteins
  • Holoenzymes
  • Luminescent Proteins
  • Muscle Proteins
  • OSM-3 protein, C elegans
  • Receptors, Cell Surface
  • kinesin-II
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Kinesins