title: The G-protein gamma subunit gpc-1 of the nematode C.elegans is involved in taste adaptation.
abstract: Caenorhabditis elegans has two heterotrimeric G-protein gamma subunits, gpc-1 and gpc-2. Although GPC-1 is specifically expressed in sensory neurons, it is not essential for the detection of odorants or salts. To test whether GPC-1 is involved in sensory plasticity, we developed a water soluble compound adaptation assay. The behaviour of wild-type animals in this assay confirms that prolonged exposure to salts can abolish chemo-attraction to these compounds. This process is time and concentration dependent, partly salt specific and reversible. In contrast, gpc-1 mutant animals show clear deficits in their ability to adapt to NaAc, NaCl and NH4Cl, but normal wild-type adaptation to odorants. Two other loci previously implicated in odorant adaptation, adp-1 and osm-9, are also involved in adaptation to salts. Our finding that G proteins, OSM-9 and ADP-1 are involved in taste adaptation offer the first molecular insight into this process.
authors.affiliation: MGC Department of Cell Biology and Genetics and Centre for Biomedical Genetics, Erasmus University Rotterdam, PO Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands. jansen@ch1.fgg.eur.nl
authors.forename: Gert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Weinkove
authors.forename: Ronald H A
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Plasterk
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000494:pharmacology; D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D000643:Ammonium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000502:physiology; D044388:GTP-Binding Protein gamma Subunits; D020962:Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology; D019346:Sodium Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D050916:TRPV Cation Channels; D013649:Taste / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D050051:Transient Receptor Potential Channels
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D044388:GTP-Binding Protein gamma Subunits; D007473:Ion Channels; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C108820:OSM-9 protein, C elegans; D050916:TRPV Cation Channels; D050051:Transient Receptor Potential Channels; C454139:gpc-1 protein, C elegans; C454140:gpc-2 protein, C elegans; D000643:Ammonium Chloride; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D019346:Sodium Acetate; D020962:Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins; C018824:ammonium acetate