[C.elegansII] eDf25 : pka e1416, lethargic; Mec (touch cells absent); Egl (HSN cells fail to differentiate); non-chemotactic to NaCl; lineage abnormalities involving reiterative divisions of neuroblasts, hence supernumerary neurons and missing neurons; 2% Him. ES3 ME2. OA>30: e1507 (Mec, Egl, non-Him, ME3). n848ts (superficially wildtype at 20C, Mec and Egl at 25C), n306, n1132, n846 (amorph),u371::Tc3, rh1029::Tc3, n1351::Tc4, etc. Alleles form graded series; e1416/Df is ME0; Him alleles (e1416, n303 etc. are deletions of >15kb, affecting both unc-86 and him-15. Cloned: rare 1.9 kb transcript, encodes 467 aa POU-class homeoprotein. Antibody staining indicates UNC-86 nuclear, specific to daughter nuclei affected by unc-86 mutations. Extensive promoter analysis. See also him-15. [Chalfie et al. 1981; Finney et al. 1988; Finney and Ruvkun 1990; GR]
unc-86 encodes a transcription factor with a POU-type homeodomain that is required for correct fate determination and differentiaion in diverse neuronal lineages, including those of egg-laying neurons, mechanosensory neurons, and chemosensory interneurons; UNC-86 is orthologous to human BRN-3; UNC-86 is required for tph-1 and cat-1 expression in specific serotonergic neurons, as well as for neurite outgrowth.
Enables DNA-binding transcription factor activity, RNA polymerase II-specific; RNA polymerase II transcription regulatory region sequence-specific DNA binding activity; and RNA polymerase II-specific DNA-binding transcription factor binding activity. Involved in mechanosensory behavior; neuron differentiation; and positive regulation of transcription by RNA polymerase II. Located in nucleus. Part of RNA polymerase II transcription regulator complex. Expressed in neurons. Human ortholog(s) of this gene implicated in autosomal dominant nonsyndromic deafness 15. Is an ortholog of human POU4F1 (POU class 4 homeobox 1); POU4F2 (POU class 4 homeobox 2); and POU4F3 (POU class 4 homeobox 3).