Protein interaction surface of the POU transcription factor UNC-86 selectively used in touch neurons.

摘要: The Caenorhabditis elegans POU protein UNC-86 specifies the HSN motor neurons, which are required for egg-laying, and six mechanosensory neurons. To investigate how controls neuronal specification, we characterized two unc-86 mutants that do not respond to touch but show wild-type egg-laying behavior. Residues P145 L195, altered by these mutations, located in POU-specific domain abolish physical interaction of with LIM homeodomain protein, MEC-3. This results a failure maintain mec-3 expression loss neuron-specific gene, mec-2. unc-86-dependent genes other neurons is impaired. We conclude distinct residues involved modulating activity during its specification different A structural model domain, including base pairs amino acid MEC-3 interaction, revealed L195 part hydrophobic pocket similar OCA-B-binding mammalian Oct-1.