Suppressor Of Mec-8 And Unc-52 Homolog (SMU1)

Mutations in the smu-1 gene of Caenorhabditis elegans were previously shown to suppress mutations in the genes mec-8 and unc-52. mec-8 encodes a putative RNA binding protein that affects the accumulation of specific alternatively spliced mRNA isoforms produced by unc-52 and other genes. unc-52 encodes a set of basement membrane proteins, homologs of mammalian perlecan, that are important for body wall muscle assembly and attachment to basement membrane, hypodermis, and cuticle.

The SMU-1 amino acid sequence is more than 60% identical to a predicted human protein of unknown function. smu-1 encodes a trans-acting factor that regulates the alternative splicing of the pre-mRNA of unc-52 and other genes.