A G-protein α subunit, GOA-1, plays a role in C. elegans avoidance behavior of strongly alkaline pH
نویسندگان
چکیده
The ability of animals to avoid strongly alkaline pH is critical for survival. However, the means by which they sense high pH has not been determined. We have previously found that the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) avoids environmental pH above 10.5. Detection involves ASH nociceptive neurons as the major sensors. Upon stimulation, transient receptor potential vanilloid-type (TRPV) ion channels encoded by osm-9 and ocr-2 play an essential role in Ca(2+) entry into ASH. Here we report that C. elegans mutants deficient in a G-protein α subunit, GOA-1, failed to avoid strongly alkaline pH with normal Ca(2+) influx into ASH. These results suggest that GOA-1 regulates signal transmission downstream of Ca(2+) influx through OSM-9/OCR-2 TRPV channels in ASH.
منابع مشابه
Decision making in C. elegans chemotaxis to alkaline pH
Monitoring of environmental and tissue pH is critical for animal survival. The nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), is attracted to mildly alkaline pH, but avoids strongly alkaline pH. However, little is known about how the behavioral switching or decision making occurs. Genetic dissection and Ca(2+) imaging have previously demonstrated that ASEL and ASH are the major sensory neurons ...
متن کاملHeterotrimeric G proteins in C. elegans.
Heterotrimeric G proteins, composed of alpha, beta, and gamma subunits, are able to transduce signals from membrane receptors to a wide variety of intracellular effectors. In this role, G proteins effectively function as dimers since the signal is communicated either by the G alpha subunit or the stable G betagamma complex. When inactive, G alpha-GDP associates with G betagamma and the cytoplas...
متن کاملA novel strategy for cell-autonomous gene knockdown in Caenorhabditis elegans defines a cell-specific function for the G-protein subunit GOA-1.
We developed a novel knockdown strategy to examine cell-specific gene function in Caenorhabditis elegans. In this strategy a null mutation in any gene is replaced with a genetically stable transgene that contains a wild-type copy of the gene fused to a 3' tag that targets the mRNA transcript for degradation by the host nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) machinery. In NMD-defective animals, tagged tr...
متن کاملTitle: a Novel Strategy for Cell Autonomous Gene Knockdown in C. Elegans Defines a Cell-specific Function for the G Protein Subunit Goa-1
Running title: Cell-specific degradation of tagged transgenes Key words/phrases RNA interference Nonsense mediated decay gene knockdown gene expression ABSTRACT We developed a novel knockdown strategy to examine cell-specific gene function in C. elegans. In this strategy a null mutation in any gene is replaced with a genetically stable transgene that contains a wild-type copy of the gene fused ...
متن کاملHomologous and unique G protein alpha subunits in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.
A cDNA corresponding to a known G protein alpha subunit, the alpha subunit of Go (Go alpha), was isolated and sequenced. The predicted amino acid sequence of C. elegans Go alpha is 80-87% identical to other Go alpha sequences. An mRNA that hybridizes to the C. elegans Go alpha cDNA can be detected on Northern blots. A C. elegans protein that crossreacts with antibovine Go alpha antibody can be ...
متن کامل