2 The Heterotrimeric G Protein Genes
of Caenorhabditis elegans
G. Jansen, K. L. Thijssen, P. Werner, M. van der Horst,
E. Hazendonk, and R. H. A. Plasterk
2.1
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 13
2.2
Results and Discussion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 16
2.3
Methods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 28
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 32
2.1 Introduction
Caenorhabditis elegans is the first animal, and the first multicellular
org!1nism, for which the complete genomic sequence has been determined (The C. elegans Sequencing Consortium 1998). One of the new
possibilities in post-sequence genetics is the immediate analysis of
complete gene families. A first approximation analysis of gene function
involves the determination of expression patterns, and the description of
loss-of-function as well as gain-of-function phenotypes. We performed
such studies for the complete family of G protein a subunits.
Heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G proteins) are
at the interface between incoming extracellular signals received by a
variety of cell surface receptors and intracellular effectors (reviewed in
Neer 1995). As such, they playa pivotal role in the interaction of a cell
with its environment. Due to the complexity of G protein-coupled signal
transduction, it is still poorly understood how specificity in different
pathways is regulated and maintained and how information from differ-