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. 2016 Nov 23;292(1):1–14. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M116.760876

FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 7.

Copper homeostasis in worms is maintained by distinctly localized intestinal CUA-1 isoforms. A, confocal images of transgenic animals (Pvha-6::CUA-1.2::GFP::unc-54 3′UTR) expressing CUA-1.2::GFP in the intestine in the presence of 50 μm supplemental copper or BCS. Scale bar, 10 μm. B, model of copper homeostasis in C. elegans is shown. Dietary copper ions are transported from the lumen of the intestine to the enterocytes by an unidentified copper importer, and CUC-1 delivers copper to CUA-1. Under basal copper or copper-deficient conditions, CUA-1.1 isoform localizes to the basolateral membrane and Golgi to either export copper ions to peripheral tissues or to direct copper into the secretory pathway. CUA-1.2 consistently localizes to the basolateral membrane of enterocytes regardless of copper conditions. CUA-1.1 is redistributed to the gut-granule membranes in response to elevated copper levels to promote copper detoxification in C. elegans.