The Caenorhabditis elegans autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease gene homologs lov-1 and pkd-2 act in the same pathway

Curr Biol. 2001 Sep 4;11(17):1341-6. doi: 10.1016/s0960-9822(01)00423-7.

Abstract

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) strikes 1 in 1000 individuals and often results in end-stage renal failure. Mutations in either PKD1 or PKD2 account for 95% of all cases [1-3]. It has recently been demonstrated that polycystin-1 and polycystin-2 (encoded by PKD1 and PKD2, respectively) assemble to form a cation channel in vitro [4]. Here we determine that the Caenorhabditis elegans PKD1 and PKD2 homologs, lov-1 [5] and pkd-2, act in the same pathway in vivo. Mutations in either lov-1 or pkd-2 result in identical male sensory behavioral defects. Also, pkd-2;lov-1 double mutants are no more severe than either of the single mutants, indicating that lov-1 and pkd-2 act together. LOV-1::GFP and PKD-2::GFP are expressed in the same male-specific sensory neurons and are concentrated in cilia and cell bodies. Cytoplasmic, nonnuclear staining in cell bodies is punctate, suggesting that one pool of PKD-2 is localized to intracellular membranes while another is found in sensory cilia. In contrast to defects in the C. elegans autosomal recessive PKD gene osm-5 [6-8], the cilia of lov-1 and pkd-2 single mutants and of lov-1;pkd-2 double mutants are normal as judged by electron microscopy, demonstrating that lov-1 and pkd-2 are not required for ultrastructural development of male-specific sensory cilia.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / metabolism
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / genetics
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism*
  • Helminth Proteins / genetics
  • Helminth Proteins / metabolism*
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism*
  • Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Dominant
  • Proteins / genetics
  • Proteins / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction*
  • TRPP Cation Channels

Substances

  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
  • Helminth Proteins
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Proteins
  • TRPP Cation Channels
  • polycystic kidney disease 1 protein
  • polycystic kidney disease 2 protein