Localization and molecular characterization of unconventional myosins in C. elegans. Early 1997 International Worm Meeting abstract 31 Localization and molecular characterization of unconventional myosins in C. elegans.
Myosins are a superfamily of ubiquitous actin-based motor proteins.
This superfamily has been subdivided into classes based on phylogenetic analysis. The genome of the worm encodes for several members of this superfamily of motors, called hum for heavy chain of an unconventional myosin. We have cloned three members of this family by degenerate PCR and two additional members have been found by homology searches of the genome sequence database. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that each of these genes encodes a separate class of unconventional myosin, several of which are responsible for known genetic disorders in mice and humans. The product of a third gene, hum-2, is being localized by immunofluorescence.