CELE_T05C12.10, T05C12.10

qua-1 encodes a hedgehog-like protein, with (from N- to C-terminus) a signal sequence, a Qua domain, a 5W repeat, an extended region of low-complexity sequence, and a Hint/Hog domain; QUA-1 is conserved among nematodes from Caenorhabditis to Brugia; QUA-1 is expressed prior to molting in hyp1 to hyp11 hypodermal cells, but not in seam cells, and ceases to be expressed after each molting cycle or in gravid adults no longer molting; QUA-1 is strongly required for normal molting, with lethal molting defects in qua-1 mutants and severe defects in qua-1(RNAi) animals; similar molting defects in RNAi of ptr-4 and ptr-23 (encoding Dispatched homologs) suggest that PTR-4 and PTR-23 may export QUA-1 from hypodermal cells synthesizing it; other sites of QUA-1 expression include intestinal and rectal cells, excretory duct and pore cells, sensilla support cells, the P cell lineage in L1, body wall muscle, and the adult reproductive system; QUA-1 is also required for normal adult alae formation, growth to full size, cuticle adhesion, locomotion, and male tail development; the Hint/Hog domain is predicted to cut QUA-1 into two halves and then covalently link cholesterol to the C-terminus of the Qua domain; the Qua domain is predicted to form a cysteine-crosslinked protein involved in intercellular signalling, and the Qua domain has subtle similarity to the N-terminal Hedge domain of HEDGEHOG proteins; both Qua and Hint/Hog domains are required for transgenic rescue of a lethal qua-1 allele; defects in both qua-1 mutants and qua-1(RNAi) animals; all of QUA-1's functions may reflect common defects in cholesterol-dependent hedgehog-like signalling.

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