Locomotion Behavior Is Affected by the GαS Pathway and the Two-Pore-Domain K+ Channel TWK-7 Interacting in GABAergic Motor Neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans.

The Role of SAD-1 Kinase in Caenorhabditis elegans Neuronal Circuit Development and Function

The SAD kinases are conserved regulators of neuronal polarity and synapse morphology. Although SAD kinases have been shown to play many different roles, the pathways through which they function remain largely unknown. Knockout mice for mammalian SAD kinases die immediately after birth. By contrast, C. elegans sad-1 genetic null mutants are healthy and viable, but exhibit a specific and fully pe...

Mutants of a temperature-sensitive two-P domain potassium channel.

Within the Caenorhabditis elegans genome there exist at least 42 genes encoding TWK (two-P domain K(+)) channels, potassium channel subunits that contain two pore regions and four transmembrane domains. We now report the first functional characterization of a TWK channel from C. elegans. Although potassium channels have been reported to be activated by a variety of factors, TWK-18 currents incr...

A Caenorhabditis elegans JNK signal transduction pathway regulates coordinated movement via type-D GABAergic motor neurons.

The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) of the MAP kinase superfamily is activated in response to a variety of cellular stresses and is involved in apoptosis in neurons. However, the roles of the JNK signaling pathway in the nervous system are unknown. The genes for the Caenorhabditis elegans homolog of JNK, JNK-1, and its direct activator, JKK-1, were isolated based on their abilities to function in...

Complex Locomotion Behavior Changes Are Induced in C. elegans by the Lack of the Regulatory Leak K Channel TWK-7

Optogenetic analysis of GABAB receptor signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans motor neurons.

In the nervous system, a perfect balance of excitation and inhibition is required, for example, to enable coordinated locomotion. In Caenorhabditis elegans, cholinergic and GABAergic motor neurons (MNs) effect waves of contralateral muscle contraction and relaxation. Cholinergic MNs innervate muscle as well as GABAergic MNs, projecting to the opposite side of the body, at dyadic synapses. Only ...