The fully linked HTML version of this article has now been published.
JCS ePress
online publication date 30 May 2006
doi: 10.1242/jcs.02980
Research Article
FER-1 regulates Ca2+-mediated membrane fusion during C. elegans spermatogenesis
Nicole L. Washington
and
Samuel Ward*
* Author for correspondence (e-mail: samward{at}email.arizona.edu)
FER-1 is required for fusion of specialized vesicles, called membranous organelles, with the sperm plasma membrane during Caenorhabditis elegans spermiogenesis. To investigate its role in membranous organelle fusion, we examined ten fer-1 mutations and found that they all cause the same defect in membrane fusion. FER-1 and the ferlin protein family are membrane proteins with four to seven C2 domains. These domains commonly mediate Ca2+-dependent lipid-processing events. Most of the fer-1 mutations fall within these C2 domains, showing that they have distinct, non-redundant functions. We found that membranous organelle fusion requires intracellular Ca2+ and that C2 domain mutations alter Ca2+ sensitivity. This suggests that the C2 domains are involved in Ca2+ sensing and further supports their independent function. Using two immunological approaches we found three FER-1 isoforms, two of which might arise from FER-1 by proteolysis. By both light and electron microscopy, these FER-1 proteins were found to be localized to membranous organelle membranes. Dysferlin, a human homologue of FER-1 involved in muscular dystrophy, is required for vesicle fusion during Ca2+-induced muscle membrane repair. Our results suggest that the ferlin family members share a conserved mechanism to regulate cell-type-specific membrane fusion.

CiteULike
Complore
Connotea
Del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
Technorati
Twitter What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:

|
 |

|
 |
 
G.-d. Zhu, G. Salazar, S. A. Zlatic, B. Fiza, M. M. Doucette, C. J. Heilman, A. I. Levey, V. Faundez, and S. W. L'Hernault
SPE-39 Family Proteins Interact with the HOPS Complex and Function in Lysosomal Delivery
Mol. Biol. Cell,
February 1, 2009;
20(4):
1223 - 1240.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
P. N. Bernatchez, A. Sharma, P. Kodaman, and W. C. Sessa
Myoferlin is critical for endocytosis in endothelial cells
Am J Physiol Cell Physiol,
January 1, 2009;
297(3):
C484 - C492.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
K. R. Doherty, A. R. Demonbreun, G. Q. Wallace, A. Cave, A. D. Posey, K. Heretis, P. Pytel, and E. M. McNally
The Endocytic Recycling Protein EHD2 Interacts with Myoferlin to Regulate Myoblast Fusion
J. Biol. Chem.,
July 18, 2008;
283(29):
20252 - 20260.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
A. Yaradanakul, T.-M. Wang, V. Lariccia, M.-J. Lin, C. Shen, X. Liu, and D. W. Hilgemann
Massive Ca-induced Membrane Fusion and Phospholipid Changes Triggered by Reverse Na/Ca Exchange in BHK Fibroblasts
J. Gen. Physiol.,
July 1, 2008;
132(1):
29 - 50.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
K. Nagaraju, R. Rawat, E. Veszelovszky, R. Thapliyal, A. Kesari, S. Sparks, N. Raben, P. Plotz, and E. P. Hoffman
Dysferlin Deficiency Enhances Monocyte Phagocytosis: A Model for the Inflammatory Onset of Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy 2B
Am. J. Pathol.,
March 1, 2008;
172(3):
774 - 785.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
M. Yan, D. A. Rachubinski, S. Joshi, R. A. Rachubinski, and S. Subramani
Dysferlin Domain-containing Proteins, Pex30p and Pex31p, Localized to Two Compartments, Control the Number and Size of Oleate-induced Peroxisomes in Pichia pastoris
Mol. Biol. Cell,
March 1, 2008;
19(3):
885 - 898.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
P. N. Bernatchez, L. Acevedo, C. Fernandez-Hernando, T. Murata, C. Chalouni, J. Kim, H. Erdjument-Bromage, V. Shah, J.-P. Gratton, E. M. McNally, et al.
Myoferlin Regulates Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 Stability and Function
J. Biol. Chem.,
October 19, 2007;
282(42):
30745 - 30753.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
L. Klinge, S. Laval, S. Keers, F. Haldane, V. Straub, R. Barresi, and K. Bushby
From T-tubule to sarcolemma: damage-induced dysferlin translocation in early myogenesis
FASEB J,
June 1, 2007;
21(8):
1768 - 1776.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|
© The Company of Biologists Ltd 2006