unc-54 encodes a muscle myosin class II heavy chain (MHC B); UNC-54 is the major myosin heavy chain expressed in C. elegans and is required for locomotion and egg-laying; in vivo and in vitro, UNC-54 interacts with ITR-1, an IP3 receptor, and this interaction may provide a link between calcium signaling and the muscle cytoskeleton; UNC-54 is a thick filament component that is expressed in multiple muscle cell classes including body wall, intestinal, anal depressor, and sphincter muscles as well as sex-specific muscles that develop postembryonically.
Enables actin filament binding activity and microfilament motor activity. A structural constituent of muscle. Involved in several processes, including egg-laying behavior; muscle contraction; and skeletal muscle myosin thick filament assembly. Located in A band and striated muscle myosin thick filament. Part of muscle myosin complex. Expressed in anal depressor muscle; body wall musculature; head; vulval muscle; and in male. Human ortholog(s) of this gene implicated in several diseases, including congenital heart disease (multiple); distal myopathy 1; and intrinsic cardiomyopathy (multiple). Is an ortholog of several human genes including MYH1 (myosin heavy chain 1); MYH2 (myosin heavy chain 2); and MYH3 (myosin heavy chain 3).