sym-3 encodes, by alternative splicing, two isoforms of a protein withno recognizably conserved domains, but with orthology to human FAM102A (EEIG1; OMIM:610891) and FAM102B, and to Drosophila CG8671; mutations in sym-3, while producing no phenotype on their own, are synthetically lethal with loss-of-function mutations in mec-8, which encodes a regulator of alternative RNA splicing; although the precise function of sym-3 is not yet known, sym-3 activity appears to be required for some aspects of pharyngeal differentiation, as mec-8; sym-3 double mutants arrest as late-stage embryos or L1 larvae with pharynges that, despite normal morphology, do not attach to the outer cuticle to allow for feeding.
Enriched in several structures, including ABalapapapa; ABalapppapa; ABplpaaappa; ABprpaaappa; and head neurons based on RNA-seq and single-cell RNA-seq studies. Is affected by several genes including daf-16; daf-12; and eat-2 based on microarray; RNA-seq; and tiling array studies. Is affected by eight chemicals including Lithium Chloride; Zidovudine; and allantoin based on microarray and RNA-seq studies. Is predicted to encode a protein with the following domains: NT-type C2 domain; EEIG1/2-like; and N-terminal C2 in EEIG1 and EHBP1 proteins. Is an ortholog of human EEIG1 (estrogen-induced osteoclastogenesis regulator 1) and EEIG2 (EEIG family member 2).