An N-myristoylated globin with a redox-sensing function that regulates the defecation cycle in Caenorhabditis elegans

PLoS One. 2012;7(12):e48768. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048768. Epub 2012 Dec 12.

Abstract

Globins occur in all kingdoms of life where they fulfill a wide variety of functions. In the past they used to be primarily characterized as oxygen transport/storage proteins, but since the discovery of new members of the globin family like neuroglobin and cytoglobin, more diverse and complex functions have been assigned to this heterogeneous family. Here we propose a function for a membrane-bound globin of C. elegans, GLB-26. This globin was predicted to be myristoylated at its N-terminus, a post-translational modification only recently described in the globin family. In vivo, this globin is found in the membrane of the head mesodermal cell and in the tail stomato-intestinal and anal depressor muscle cells. Since GLB-26 is almost directly oxidized when exposed to oxygen, we postulate a possible function as electron transfer protein. Phenotypical studies show that GLB-26 takes part in regulating the length of the defecation cycle in C. elegans under oxidative stress conditions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / physiology*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / genetics
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Defecation / physiology*
  • Globins / genetics
  • Globins / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Oxidative Stress / physiology*
  • Protein Processing, Post-Translational

Substances

  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
  • GLB-26 protein, C elegans
  • Globins

Grants and funding

SDH is a Ph.D. fellow of the Fund for Scientific Research (FWO). Financial support to SD and LM was provided by the University of Antwerp (BOF UA TOP 2006) and to SD, LM, BPB, by FWO project G.0247.09. The UltraVIEW VoX spinning disk confocal microscope was purchased with support of the Hercules Foundation (Hercules Type 1: AUHA 09/001). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.