Identification and molecular characterization of Unc-33-like phosphoprotein (Ulip), a putative mammalian homolog of the axonal guidance-associated unc-33 gene product.

The control of neuritic extension and guidance is critical for the development, maturation, and regeneration of functional neuronal circuits. We identified a neuronal 64-85 kDa phosphoprotein, the expression of which in mouse brain is regulated during development, reaching a peak at approximately 5 d postnatal, when maturation of neurons and synaptic connections is highly active. The amino acid sequence of the mouse protein deduced from its cloned cDNA reveals similarities with that of the neuritic outgrowth- and guidance-related product of the unc-33 gene in Caenorhabditis elegans. The regulation of its phosphorylation in response to nerve growth factor, as well as its localization in neurites and growth cones and at the neuromuscular junction, further indicates that Ulip (for Unc-33-like phosphoprotein) is not only a structural but likely is also a functional mammalian homolog of Unc-33, potentially involved in the control of neuritic outgrowth and axonal guidance.