unc-129 encodes a member of the TGF-beta family of secreted growth factor signaling molecules; in C. elegans, UNC-129 functions as a guidance cue that is required for dorsalward axonal guidance as well as for proper migration of the distal tip cells of the somatic gonad; in regulating axon guidance and cell migration, UNC-129 functions by promoting UNC-5/UNC-40 signaling pathways at the expense of UNC-5 signaling pathways alone; UNC-129 is expressed in dorsal body wall muscle; UNC-129 physically interacts with UNC-5 expressed in tissue culture cells.
Enables signaling receptor binding activity. Involved in several processes, including axon guidance; backward locomotion; and inductive cell migration. Predicted to be located in extracellular space. Expressed in several structures, including CAN; PDE socket cell; body wall musculature; cholinergic neurons; and terminal bulb. Is an ortholog of human GDF10 (growth differentiation factor 10).