title: Mutations in the dystrophin-like dys-1 gene of Caenorhabditis elegans result in reduced acetylcholinesterase activity.
abstract: Mutations of the Caenorhabditis elegans dystrophin/utrophin-like dys-1 gene lead to hyperactivity and hypercontraction of the animals. In addition dys-1 mutants are hypersensitive to acetylcholine and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. We investigated this phenotype further by assaying acetylcholinesterase activity. Total extracts from three different dys-1 alleles showed significantly less acetylcholinesterase-specific activity than wild-type controls. In addition, double mutants carrying a mutation in the dys-1 gene plus a mutation in either of the two major acetylcholinesterase genes (ace-1 and ace-2) display locomotor defects consistent with a strong reduction of acetylcholinesterases, whereas none of the single mutants does. Therefore, in C. elegans, disruption of the dystrophin/utrophin-like dys-1 gene affects acetylcholinesterase activity.
authors.affiliation: IMPC, CNRS-UPR411, 660 route des Lucioles, 06560, Sophia Antipolis, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Giugia
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gieseler
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arpagaus
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ségalat
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016189:Dystrophin / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics*; D008124:Locomotion; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: D016189:Dystrophin; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase