sym-4 encodes a large (1,043-residue) protein that is required for viability in a mec-8 mutant background, and is also required by itself for normally rapid growth and locomotion; SYM-4 is orthologous to human WDR44, and has a nondescript N-terminal domain, with a C-terminal domain containing seven WD repeats; SYM-4 is broadly expressed, in larval and adult pharynx, digestive tract, neurons, vulva, body wall muscle, and coelomocytes; sym-4 is synthetically lethal with mec-8, with double mutants showing an abnormally buccal cavity between the anterior end of the embryo and the internal anterior end of the pharyngeal primordium; mec-8;sym-4 embryos arrest development at hatching, are unable to eat, and thus die; SYM-4 may function in concert with SYM-3, since sym-3 mutants have the same synthetic lethal phenotype as sym-4.
Enriched in several structures, including ABalapapap; excretory cell; head mesodermal cell; neurons; and oocyte based on microarray; tiling array; RNA-seq; and single-cell RNA-seq studies. Is affected by several genes including nuo-6; hsf-1; and mrg-1 based on microarray; tiling array; and RNA-seq studies. Is affected by four chemicals including rotenone; stavudine; and fluvastatin based on RNA-seq and microarray studies. Is predicted to encode a protein with the following domains: WD40/YVTN repeat-like-containing domain superfamily; WD40 repeat; WD40-repeat-containing domain superfamily; WD repeat-containing protein WDR44/Dgr2; Phosphorylation site; and WD domain, G-beta repeat. Is an ortholog of human WDR44 (WD repeat domain 44). Human WDR44 enables molecular sequestering activity and small GTPase binding activity.