Mutations in the dystrophin-like dys-1 gene of Caenorhabditis elegans result in reduced acetylcholinesterase activity.
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.
Giugia
J
J
IMPC, CNRS-UPR411, 660 route des Lucioles, 06560, Sophia Antipolis, France.
Gieseler
K
K
Arpagaus
M
M
Ségalat
L
L
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
D016189:Dystrophin; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase