A metalloprotease disintegrin that controls cell migration in Caenorhabditis elegans

in Caenorhabditis elegans, the gonad acquires two U-shaped arms by the directed migration of its distal tip cells (DTCs) along the body wall basement membranes. Correct migration of DTCs requires the mig-17 gene, which encodes a member of the metalloprotease-disintegrin protein family. The MIG-17 protein is secreted from muscle cells of the body wall and Localizes in the basement membranes of gonad, This localization is dependent on the disintegrin-like domain of MIG-17 and its catalytic activity, These results suggest that the MIG-17 metalloprotease directs migration of DTCs by remodeling the basement membrane.