Abstract
A cDNA encoding a putative copper chaperone protein, CUC-1, was cloned from Caenorhabditis elegans. CUC-1 had the characteristic motifs of MTCXXC and KKTGK, and showed 49.3 and 39.1% sequence identity with yeast Atx1p and human HAH1, respectively. Expression of CUC-1 cDNA complemented a null atx1 mutant, the yeast copper chaperone gene, thus demonstrating that CUC-1 is a functional copper chaperone. Studies with transgenic worms indicated that cuc-1 and cua-1, which encodes the copper transporting ATPase, are expressed together in intestinal cells of adult and hypodermal cells in the larvae. cua-1 was also expressed in pharyngeal muscle but cuc-1 was not. These results suggest that CUC-1 and CUA-1 constitute a copper trafficking pathway similar to the yeast counterparts in intestinal and hypodermal cells, and CUA-1 may have a different function in pharyngeal muscle.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Adenosine Triphosphatases / genetics*
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Animals
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Base Sequence
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Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics*
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Caenorhabditis elegans / growth & development
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Caenorhabditis elegans / metabolism
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins*
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Carrier Proteins / genetics
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Cation Transport Proteins*
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Cloning, Molecular*
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Conserved Sequence
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Copper / metabolism*
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Copper Transport Proteins
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Fungal Proteins / genetics
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Gene Expression
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Genes, Reporter
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Genetic Complementation Test
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Humans
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Intestines
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Larva
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Metallochaperones
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Molecular Chaperones / chemistry
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Molecular Chaperones / genetics*
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Organ Specificity
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Pharyngeal Muscles
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Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics
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Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins*
Substances
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ATOX1 protein, human
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ATX1 protein, S cerevisiae
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CUC-1 protein, C elegans
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
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Carrier Proteins
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Cation Transport Proteins
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Copper Transport Proteins
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Fungal Proteins
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Metallochaperones
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Molecular Chaperones
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Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
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Copper
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Adenosine Triphosphatases