Depletion of UNK-1 affects head locomotive behaviors in Caenorhabditis elegans.

During development, transcription factors execute genetic programs to define and shape the nervous system. We previously reported the transcription factor EGL-43 /Mecom regulates expression of numerous genes important for neuronal development in C. elegans . Here we characterized the function of one EGL-43 target, UNK-1 /Unkempt, a conserved RNA-binding protein. Using genome editing, we introduced an auxin-inducible degron tag and mNeonGreen into the unk-1 locus. We observed cytoplasmic expression of UNK-1 in many head neurons. Depletion of UNK-1 resulted in increased head oscillations, a phenotype typically associated with defects in neurotransmitter synthesis. Our study links UNK-1 to head motor control in C. elegans .