The gene unc-76 (unc, uncoordinated) is necessary for normal axonal bundling and elongation within axon bundles in Caenorhabditis elegans. Two human homologues, fasciculation and elongation protein zeta-1 and -2 (FEZ1 and 2) have been identified [].FEZ2 has been reported in rat, human and mouse. Similar to FEZ1, FEZ2 interactes with PKCzeta and induces neurite extension of PC12 cells when co-expressed with a constitutively active mutant of PKCzeta [].
The first member of the FEZ (fasciculation and elongation protein zeta) family identified was unc-76, from C. elegans. The protein is necessary for normal axon fasciculation and is required for axon-axon interactions []. Later, two human homologues, FEZ1 and FEZ2, were identified []. FEZ1 and FEZ2 interact with PKCzeta and have been shown to induce neurite extension of PC12 cells when co-expressed with a constitutively active mutant of PKCzeta [].
