Transcription regulatory networks in Caenorhabditis elegans

Gene

Public Gene Name

ptl-1  

Sequence Name

F42G9.9  

WB ID

WBGene00004212  

Description

ptl-1 encodes a microtubule-binding protein that is homologous to members of the tau/MAP2/MAP4 subfamily of microtubule-associated proteins (OMIM:157140, abnormal aggregates of hyperphosphorylated tau are associated with several neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Pick's disease, and corticobasal degeneration); by homology, PTL-1 is predicted to promote microtubule assembly and stability, and to play a role in maintaining neuronal integrity and axonal transport; in vitro, bacterially expressed PTL-1 can bind microtubules; ptl-1 mRNA is expressed at highest levels in the embryo and early larval stages, while PTL-1 is detected in embryonic hypodermis and head neurons and then in the mechanosensory neurons, ALML, ALMR, AVM, PLML, and PLMR, in larvae and adults; as loss of ptl-1 function via mutation or large-scale RNAi screens does not result in any obvious abnormalities, the precise role of PTL-1 in C. elegans development and/or behavior is not yet known.