An atypical cysteine-type protein domain regulates cuticular extracellular matrix assembly in nematodes.
Apical extracellular matrices (aECMs) act as barriers against pathogens and shape tissue organization throughout animals. In nematodes, the cuticle is the aECM performing this function, representing a defining feature of this largest animal phylum. Morphological and molecular evidence supports that worm cuticles extend...