FMRFamide neuropeptides and acetylcholine synergistically inhibit egg-laying by C. elegans.
Egg-laying behavior of the Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodite is regulated by G protein signaling pathways. Here we show that the egg laying-defective mutant egl-6(n592) carries an activating mutation in a G protein-coupled receptor that inhibits C. elegans egg-laying motor neurons in a G(o)-dependent manner. Ligands for EGL-6 are Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-NH(2) (FMRFamide)-related peptides encoded by the genes flp-10 and flp-17. flp-10 is expressed in both neurons and non-neuronal cells. The major source of flp-17 peptides is a pair of presumptive sensory neurons, the BAG neurons. Genetic analysis of the egl-6 pathway revealed that the EGL-6 neuropeptide signaling pathway functions redundantly with acetylcholine to inhibit egg-laying. The retention of embryos in the uterus of the C. elegans hermaphrodite is therefore under the control of a presumptive sensory system and is inhibited by the convergence of signals from neuropeptides and the small-molecule neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
Ringstad
Niels
N
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
Horvitz
H Robert
HR
D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000409:Alanine / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D019835:FMRFamide / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000528:radiation effects; D049990:Membrane Transport Modulators / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D009154:Mutation; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques / Q000379:methods; D010455:Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D013912:Threonine / Q000235:genetics
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D049990:Membrane Transport Modulators; D010455:Peptides; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D013912:Threonine; D019835:FMRFamide; D000109:Acetylcholine; D000409:Alanine