unc-69 encodes, by alternative splicing, three isoforms of a small (102- to 176-residue) coiled-coil protein required for normal axonal extension, axonal guidance, neuronal fasciculation, and synaptic vesicle localization; UNC-69 is orthologous to human SCOCO, which can transgenically rescue the locomotion defect of strong unc-69 mutants; UNC-69 is expressed in embryos, the processes and growth cones of immature neurons, and in the cell bodies of many (perhaps all) mature neurons; UNC-69 acts cell-autonomously in at least touch neurons, and perhaps all neurons; since UNC-69 binds a 19-residue conserved coiled-coil domain of UNC-76, UNC-69 and UNC-76 colocalize to neuronal puncta, unc-69 mutants phenotypically resemble unc-76, and mutations of these genes have nonallelic noncomplementation, UNC-69 and UNC-76 are likely to function as a complex.
Involved in regulation of axon extension and regulation of synapse organization. Located in axon; neuronal cell body; and perinuclear region of cytoplasm. Expressed in CAN; HSN; ganglia; somatic nervous system; and touch receptor neurons. Is an ortholog of human SCOC (short coiled-coil protein).