THE CAENORHABDITIS-ELEGANS BEHAVIORAL GENE UNC-24 ENCODES A NOVEL BIPARTITE PROTEIN SIMILAR TO BOTH ERYTHROCYTE BAND-7.2 (STOMATIN) AND NONSPECIFIC LIPID TRANSFER PROTEIN

We report here the positional cloning and molecular characterization o f the unc-24 gene of Caenorhabditis elegans, This gene is required for normal locomotion and interacts with genes that affect the worm's res ponse to volatile anesthetics. The predicted gene product contains a d omain similar to part oi two ion channel regulators (the erythrocyte i ntegral membrane protein stomatin and the C. elegans neuronal protein MEC-2) juxtaposed to a domain similar to nonspecific lipid transfer pr otein (nsLTP; also called sterol carrier protein 2). Sequence analysis suggests that the nsLTP-like domain of UNC-24 provides lipid carrier function and is tethered to the plasma membrane by the stomatin-like d omain, which may be regulatory. We postulate that UNC-24 may be involv ed in lipid transfer between closely apposed membranes.