title: Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors: a comparison of the nAChRs of Caenorhabditis elegans and parasitic nematodes.
abstract: Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) play a key role in the normal physiology of nematodes and provide an established target site for anthelmintics. The free-living nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, has a large number of nAChR subunit genes in its genome and so provides an experimental model for testing novel anthelmintics which act at these sites. However, many parasitic nematodes lack specific genes present in C. elegans, and so care is required in extrapolating from studies using C. elegans to the situation in other nematodes. In this review the properties of C. elegans nAChRs are reviewed and compared to those of parasitic nematodes. This forms the basis for a discussion of the possible subunit composition of nAChRs from different species of parasitic nematodes. Currently our knowledge on this is largely based on studies using heterologous expression and pharmacological analysis of receptor subunits in Xenopus laevis oocytes. It is concluded that more information is required regarding the subunit composition and pharmacology of endogenous nAChRs in parasitic nematodes.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Biological Sciences, Life Sciences Building 85, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK. Electronic address: lmhd@soton.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Lindy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Holden-Dye
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Joyner
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Walker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000494:pharmacology; D001196:Ascariasis / Q000469:parasitology*; D017165:Ascaris suum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D006188:Haemonchiasis / Q000469:parasitology*; D006189:Haemonchus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007978:Levamisole / Q000494:pharmacology; D009865:Oocytes; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000235:genetics; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014982:Xenopus laevis
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D021122:Protein Subunits; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D007978:Levamisole
keywords: Anthelmintic; Ascaris suum; Caenorhabditis elegans; Haemonchus contortus; Levamisole; Nicotine; nAChRs