Description of "W02B9.1" |
hmr-1 encodes two isoforms of a classical cadherin that contain extracellular cadherin, EGF-like, and laminin G domains as well as a highly conserved intracellular domain that binds beta-catenin; by homology, the HMR-1 proteins are predicted to function as calcium-dependent, homophilic cell-cell adhesion receptors; in vivo, HMR-1A activity is required for mediating the cell migrations, cell shape changes, and presumably actin cytoskeleton rearrangements that occur during embryonic morphogenesis; HMR-1B is required for fasciculation and outgrowth of a subset of motor neuron processes; HMR-1 antibodies detect expression in all embryonic blastomeres at early stages of development but as hypodermal adherens junctions form and morphogenesis begins, HMR-1 becomes highly expressed in the apical junctions of all hypodermal cells; later, HMR-1 is expressed primarily at the apical margins of hypodermal, pharyngeal, and intestinal cells in a pattern consistent with localization to adherens junctions; an HMR-1B reporter fusion is expressed in neurons, including the DD, VD, and AS class of motor neurons; HMR-1 activity is required for proper localization of other junctional components, such as HMP-1/alpha-catenin and HMP-2/beta-catenin, but not for localization of AJM-1, the junctional component recognized by the MH27 antibody. |