The gene product of unc-104, a gene in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans that codes for a kinesin-like protein, will be studied. The unc-104 protein will be tested for mechanochemical translocation activity and the motor domain of the protein will be defined by site-directed mutagenesis in "in vitro" motility assays. The unc-104 gene will be sequenced and the temporal and spatial localization of unc-104 mRNA and protein expression will be determined. To study the specificity of motor and tail domains of the protein, genetically engineered forms of the gene will be introduced into the nematode by DNA transformation. These studies promise to increase our understanding of the role of axonal transport in synaptogenesis at the neuromuscular junction.
