Depletion of UNK-1 affects head locomotive behaviors in Caenorhabditis elegans

TL;DR

This study shows that reducing UNK-1 in C. elegans affects head movement, linking it to motor control in the worm's nervous system.

Contribution

The novel contribution is linking UNK-1, an RNA-binding protein, to head motor control in C. elegans through functional analysis.

Findings

UNK-1 is expressed in many head neurons of C. elegans.

Depletion of UNK-1 increases head oscillations, suggesting a role in motor control.

UNK-1 is a conserved RNA-binding protein regulated by EGL-43.

Abstract

During development, transcription factors execute genetic programs to define and shape the nervous system. We previously reported the transcription factor
EGL-43
/Mecom regulates expression of numerous genes important for neuronal development in

C. elegans

. Here we characterized the function of one
EGL-43
target,
UNK-1
/Unkempt, a conserved RNA-binding protein. Using genome editing, we introduced an auxin-inducible degron tag and mNeonGreen into the

unk-1

locus. We observed cytoplasmic expression of
UNK-1
in many head neurons. Depletion of
UNK-1
resulted in increased head oscillations, a phenotype typically associated with defects in neurotransmitter synthesis. Our study links
UNK-1
to head motor control in

C. elegans

.

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