title: FRPR-4 Is a G-Protein Coupled Neuropeptide Receptor That Regulates Behavioral Quiescence and Posture in Caenorhabditis elegans.
abstract: Neuropeptides signal through G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) to regulate a broad array of animal behaviors and physiological processes. The Caenorhabditis elegans genome encodes approximately 100 predicted neuropeptide receptor GPCRs, but in vivo roles for only a few have been identified. We describe here a role for the GPCR FRPR-4 in the regulation of behavioral quiescence and locomotive posture. FRPR-4 is activated in cell culture by several neuropeptides with an amidated isoleucine-arginine-phenylalanine (IRF) motif or an amidated valine-arginine-phenylalanine (VRF) motif at their carboxy termini, including those encoded by the gene flp-13. Loss of frpr-4 function results in a minor feeding quiescence defect after heat-induced cellular stress. Overexpression of frpr-4 induces quiescence of locomotion and feeding as well as an exaggerated body bend posture. The exaggerated body bend posture requires the gene flp-13. While frpr-4 is expressed broadly, selective overexpression of frpr-4 in the proprioceptive DVA neurons results in exaggerated body bends that require flp-13 in the ALA neuron. Our results suggest that FLP-13 and other neuropeptides signal through FRPR-4 and other receptors to regulate locomotion posture and behavioral quiescence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.|Department of Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: Matthew D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.affiliation: Functional Genomics and Proteomics lab, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: York
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: Kun He
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Functional Genomics and Proteomics lab, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Liliane
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schoofs
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Raizen
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000378:metabolism; D018869:Heat-Shock Response / Q000187:drug effects; D008124:Locomotion / Q000187:drug effects; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D011187:Posture; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000378:metabolism*; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide