Genetic analysis of halothane sensitivity in Caenorhabditis elegans.
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans appears to be a useful model for studying the action of volatile anesthetics. A mutant strain that is hypersensitive to the widely used anesthetic halothane was described earlier. The mutation is now shown to be an allele of unc-79. Other alleles of unc-79 are also associated with hypersensitivity to halothane. A strain with a mutation in a second gene, unc-80, is also hypersensitive to halothane. Nematodes bearing mutations in both unc-79 and unc-80 are slightly more sensitive to halothane than those bearing only one of these mutations. Mutations in a third gene, unc-9, suppress both unc-79 and unc-80. Nematodes bearing the suppressor mutations alone have normal sensitivity to halothane. These results show that sensitivity to halothane can be altered by mutations in several different genes.
D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D002107:Caenorhabditis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D006221:Halothane / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009154:Mutation; D013045:Species Specificity; D013489:Suppression, Genetic
D006221:Halothane