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First published online 12 April 2006
doi: 10.1242/dev.02363

Development 133, 1911-1921 (2006)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2006
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C. elegans dystroglycan DGN-1 functions in epithelia and neurons, but not muscle, and independently of dystrophin

Robert P. Johnson, Seong Hoon Kang and James M. Kramer*

Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.

* Author for correspondence (e-mail: jkramer{at}northwestern.edu)

Accepted 15 March 2006

The C. elegans dystroglycan (DG) homolog DGN-1 is expressed in epithelia and neurons, and localizes to basement membrane (BM) surfaces. Unlike vertebrate DG, DGN-1 is not expressed in muscle or required for muscle function. dgn-1 null mutants are viable but sterile owing to severe disorganization of the somatic gonad epithelium, and show defects in vulval and excretory cell epithelia and in motoneuron axon guidance. The defects resemble those of epi-1 laminin {alpha}B mutants, suggesting that DGN-1 serves as a receptor for laminin. dgn-1(0)/+ animals are fertile but show gonad migration defects in addition to the defects seen in homozygotes, indicating that DGN-1 function is dosage sensitive. Phenotypic analyses show that DGN-1 and dystrophin-associated protein complex (DAPC) components have distinct and independent functions, in contrast to the situation in vertebrate muscle. The DAPC-independent functions of DGN-1 in epithelia and neurons suggest that vertebrate DG may also act independently of dystrophin/utrophin in non-muscle tissues.

Key words: Dystroglycan, Laminin, Dystrophin, Basement membrane, Extracellular matrix, Epithelia, Neurons




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