Transcription regulatory networks in Caenorhabditis elegans

Gene

Public Gene Name

wrt-4  

Sequence Name

ZK678.5  

WB ID

WBGene00006950  

Description

wrt-4 encodes a hedgehog-like protein, with (from N- to C-terminus) a signal sequence, a Wart domain, an short region of low-complexity sequence, and a Hint/Hog domain; WRT-4 is expressed strongly in hypodermal syncytia hyp6-hyp10 from 3-fold embryos to adults; the Hint/Hog domain is predicted to cut WRT-4 into two halves and then covalently link cholesterol to the C-terminus of the Wart domain; the Wart domain is predicted to form a cysteine-crosslinked protein involved in intercellular signalling, and it has subtle similarity to the N-terminal Hedge domain of HEDGEHOG proteins; WRT-4 is weakly required for normal molting; WRT-4 is also required for normal adult alae formation, growth to full size, locomotion, and male tail development; all of these requirements may reflect common defects in cholesterol-dependent hedgehog-like signalling or in vesicle trafficking.