Altering electrical connections in the nervous system of the pteropod mollusc Clione limacina by neuronal injections of gap junction mRNA.
Neurons can communicate with each other either via exchange of specific molecules at synapses or by direct electrical connections between the cytoplasm of either cell [for review see Bruzzone et al. (1996) Eur. J. Biochem., 238, 1-27]. Although electrical connections are abundant in many nervous systems, little is known about the mechanisms which govern the specificity of their formation. Recent cloning of the innexins--gap junction proteins responsible for electrical coupling in invertebrates (Phelan et al. (1998) Trends Genet., 14, 348-349], has made it possible to study the molecular mechanisms of patterning of the electrical connections between individual neurons in model systems. Here we demonstrate that intracellular injection of mRNA encoding the molluscan innexin Panx1 (Panchin et al. 2000 Curr. Biol., 10, R473-R474) drastically alters the specificity of electrical coupling between identified neurons of the pteropod mollusc Clione limacina.
Kelmanson
Ilya V
IV
A. N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, 119899 Moscow, Russia.
Shagin
Dmitry A
DA
Usman
Natalia
N
Matz
Mikhail V
MV
Lukyanov
Sergey A
SA
Panchin
Yury V
YV
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D017630:Connexins / Q000235:genetics*; D017952:Ganglia, Invertebrate / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008974:Mollusca / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000494:pharmacology
D017630:Connexins; D012333:RNA, Messenger