Adam Antebi (2006) WormBook "Nuclear hormone receptors in C. elegans."

Adam Antebi

[WormBook, 2006]

Nuclear receptors (NRs) are transcription factors typically regulated by lipophilic hormones, which coordinate metazoan metabolism, development and homeostasis. C. elegans has undergone a remarkable expansion of the family, harboring 284 of these receptors in its genome. Approximately 20 of them have been analyzed genetically, most of which correspond to conserved homologs in other metazoans. These NRs variously affect broad life history traits such as sex determination, molting, developmental timing, diapause, and life span. They also impact neural development, axon outgrowth and neuronal identity. Finally, they influence lipid and xenobiotic metabolism. The study of C. elegans NRs holds great promise for dissecting nuclear receptor signaling pathways in vivo in the context of complex endocrine networks.

Primakoff P et al. (2000) Trends Genet "The ADAM gene family: surface proteins with adhesion and protease activity."

Primakoff P, Myles DG

[Trends Genet, 2000]

An ADAM is a transmembrane protein that contains a disintegrin and metalloprotease domain and, therefore, it potentially has both cell adhesion and protease activities. Currently, the ADAM gene family has 29 members, although the function of most ADAM gene products is unknown. We discuss the ADAM gene products with known functions that act in a highly diverse set of biological processes, including fertilization, neurogenesis, myogenesis, embryonic TGF-alpha release and the inflammatory response.

Kubota Y et al. (2006) Biol Chem "C. elegans as a model system to study the function of the COG complex in animal development."

Nishiwaki K, Kubota Y

[Biol Chem, 2006]

The conserved oligomeric Golgi (COG) complex is an octameric protein complex associated with the Golgi apparatus and is required for proper sorting and glycosylation of Golgi resident enzymes and secreted proteins. Although COG complex function has been extensively studied at the cellular and subcellular levels, its role in animal development mostly remains unknown. Recently, mutations in the components of the COG complex were found to cause abnormal gonad morphogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans. In C. elegans, the COG complex acts in the glycosylation of an ADAM (a disintegrin and metalloprotease) family protein, MIG-17, which directs migration of gonadal distal tip cells to lead gonad morphogenesis. This is the first link between the COG complex and the function of an ADAM protease that is directly involved in organ morphogenesis, demonstrating the potential of C. elegans as a model system to study COG function in animal development.

Cuasnicu PS et al. (2001) Arch Med Res "Molecular mechanisms involved in mammalian gamete fusion."

Da Ros VG, Cohen DJ, Morgenfeld MM, Busso D, Cuasnicu PS, Ellerman DA

[Arch Med Res, 2001]

Fusion between gametes is a key event in the fertilization process involving the interaction of specific domains of the sperm and egg plasma membranes. During recent years, efforts have been made toward the identification of the specific molecular components involved in this event. The present work will focus on the best characterized candidates for mediating gamete membrane fusion in mammals. These molecules include members of the ADAM (a disintegrin and a metalloprotease domain) family, i.e., testicular proteins fertilin alpha, fertilin beta, and cyritestin, which are thought to interact with integrins in the egg plasma membrane through their disintegrin domains, and a member of the cysteine-rich secretory proteins (CRISP) family, i.e., epididymal protein DE, which participates in an event subsequent to sperm-egg binding and leading to fusion through specific complementary sites localized on the fusogenic area of the egg surface. The identification and characterization of these molecules will contribute not only to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying mammalian sperm-egg fusion but also to the development of new methods for both fertility regulation and diagnosis and treatment of human infertility.