title: Nuclear PKG localization is regulated by G₀ alpha and is necessary in the AWB neurons to mediate avoidance in Caenorhabditis elegans.
abstract: Neural circuits interpret sensory information from their environment and use this information to influence behavioral outputs. In Caenorhabditis elegans two bilaterally symmetric cephalic amphid organs each contain the ciliated termini of twelve classes of sensory neurons. Two of these sensory neuron pairs are called the AWB and the AWC neurons. The AWC neurons confer an ability to detect attractive volatile odors such as benzaldehyde, whereas the AWB neurons endow the animal with an ability to detect repulsive volatile odors such as 2-nonanone. Previously, it has been shown that transient nuclear localization of a Protein Kinase G (PKG) called EGL-4 in the AWC neuron facilitates adaptation after sustained odor input, and here we show that constitutively nuclear EGL-4 is required in the AWB neurons for the detection of repellent odors. Furthermore, we show that the G₀ alpha subunit protein GOA-1 regulates the nuclear localization of EGL-4 in both AWB and AWC neurons. These data reveal novel insight into how the localization of an individual kinase can form a turnout switch to modify output in different neurons to drive opposite sensory behaviors.
authors: Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington DC, DC 20052, USA; Institute for Neuroscience, The George Washington University, Washington DC, DC 20052, USA.
authors: Chao
authors: C
authors: He
authors: Damien M
authors: DM
authors: O'Halloran
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000502:physiology*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D002633:Chemotaxis; D017869:Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D019206:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gi-Go / Q000378:metabolism*; D009812:Odorants; D021381:Protein Transport; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D012903:Smell
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C516620:GOA-1 protein, C elegans; D017869:Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; C470349:EGL-4 protein, C elegans; D019206:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gi-Go
keywords: Caenorhabditis elegans; G protein alpha subunit; Olfaction; Protein kinase G; Sensory circuit