| Title: | Two neuronal G proteins are involved in chemosensation of the Caenorhabditis elegans Dauer-inducing pheromone |
| Author(s): | Zwaal RR; Mendel JE; Sternberg PW; Plasterk RH; |
| Address: | "The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Division of Molecular Biology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands" |
| DOI: | 10.1093/genetics/145.3.715 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 0016-6731 (Print) 0016-6731 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Caenorhabditis elegans uses chemosensation to determine its course of development. Young larvae can arrest as dauer larvae in response to increasing population density, which they measure by a nematodeexcreted pheromone, and decreasing food supply. Dauer larvae can resume development in response to a decrease in pheromone and increase in food concentration. We show here that two novel G protein alpha subunits (GPA-2 and GPA-3) show promoter activity in subsets of chemosensory neurons and are involved in the decision to form dauer larvae primarily through the response to dauer pheromone. Dominant activating mutations in these G proteins result in constitutive, pheromone-independent dauer formation, whereas inactivation results in reduced sensitivity to pheromone, and, under certain conditions, an alteration in the response to food. Interactions between gpa-2, gpa-3 and other genes controlling dauer formation suggest that these G proteins may act in parallel to regulate the neuronal decision making that precedes dauer formation" |
| Keywords: | Animals Caenorhabditis elegans/embryology/genetics/*physiology Chemoreceptor Cells/*physiology GTP-Binding Proteins/genetics/*physiology Larva/physiology Neurons/*physiology Pheromones/*physiology; |
| Notes: | "MedlineZwaal, R R Mendel, J E Sternberg, P W Plasterk, R H eng 5 RO1 RR10082/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/ Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. 1997/03/01 Genetics. 1997 Mar; 145(3):715-27. doi: 10.1093/genetics/145.3.715" |
