title: Physiological and pharmacological studies on nematodes.
abstract: Classical transmitters and neuroactive peptides act as transmitters or modulators within the central and peripheral nervous systems of nematodes, for example Ascaris suum and Caenorhabditis elegans. Acetylcholine (ACh) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) are respectively the excitatory and inhibitory transmitters onto somatic body wall muscle while 5-hydroxytrypamine (5-HT) is the excitatory transmitter onto pharyngeal muscle. 5-HT also reduces ACh-induced contractions of somatic muscle and this action of 5-HT is mediated through activation of adenylate cyclase while that on pharyngeal muscle is mediated through inositol phosphate activation. Glutamate, dopamine and octopamine also have transmitter roles in nematodes. Neuroactive peptides of the RFamide family can excite somatic muscle, for example, AF-1 (KNEFIRFamide), AF-2 (KHEYLRFamide), AF-3 (AVPGVLRFamide) and AF-4 (GDVPGVLRFamide) or inhibit and relax this muscle, for example, PF-1 (SDPNFLRFamide), PF-2 (SADPNFLRFamide) and PF-4 (KPNlRFamide). In addition PF-3 (AF-8) (KSAYMRFamide) has a biphasic action on pharyngeal muscle, excitation followed by inhibition while AF-1 only inhibits this muscle. The peptide effects can be either pre- or postsynaptic or both and are likely to be mediated through second messenger systems. In addition these peptides modulate the action of classical transmitters, particularly ACh.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Franks
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pemberton
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Holden-Dye
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001197:Ascaridia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001200:Ascaris / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology; D009348:Nematoda / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000502:physiology*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides; D012701:Serotonin; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D000109:Acetylcholine; D004298:Dopamine