First published online October 13, 2004
Journal of Cell Science 117, 2202e (2004)
© The Company of Biologists Limited
Worm's lack of integrity
Tetraspanins are conserved cell surface molecules that can interact with a variety of transmembrane proteins in the same membrane (e.g. integrins and Igsuperfamily receptors). Implicated in cell migration, adhesion and membrane fusion, these proteins have largely unknown physiological roles. On p. 5209, Eisuke Mekada and co-workers report the surprising discovery that a tetraspanin is essential for epithelial integrity in nematodes. Combining genetic studies and RNA interference, they show that worms lacking TSP-15, a tetraspanin related to human CD151, exhibit blistering of the cuticle and numerous other defects caused by loss of hypodermal integrity, including impaired barrier function. They go on to demonstrate that these defects can be rescued by transgenic expression of wild-type TSP-15. In addition, they show that a TSP-15–GFP fusion protein colocalizes with markers of fibrous organelles – equivalent to the hemidesmosomes that maintain tissue integrity in mammals. The authors' findings thus not only provide the first evidence for an important function of tetraspanins in nematodes but also raise the possibility that these proteins play a similar role in mammalian skin.
Related articles in JCS:
- Tetraspanin protein (TSP-15) is required for epidermal integrity in Caenorhabditis elegans
- Hiroki Moribe, John Yochem, Hiromi Yamada, Yo Tabuse, Toyoshi Fujimoto, and Eisuke Mekada
JCS 2004 117: 5209-5220.
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