Abstract
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.
Publication types
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Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Acetylcholine / metabolism
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Acetylcholine / pharmacology*
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Alanine / genetics
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Animals
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Animals, Genetically Modified
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Behavior, Animal / drug effects*
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Behavior, Animal / physiology*
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Caenorhabditis elegans
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / genetics
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / physiology
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FMRFamide / metabolism
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FMRFamide / pharmacology*
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Female
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Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
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Gene Expression Regulation / physiology
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Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
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Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
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Membrane Potentials / drug effects
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Membrane Potentials / genetics
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Membrane Potentials / radiation effects
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Membrane Transport Modulators / metabolism
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Membrane Transport Modulators / pharmacology*
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Motor Neurons / metabolism
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Motor Neurons / physiology
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Mutation
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Neural Inhibition / drug effects
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Neural Inhibition / physiology
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Patch-Clamp Techniques / methods
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Peptides / pharmacology
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Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / genetics
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Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / metabolism
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Reproduction* / drug effects
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Reproduction* / genetics
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Reproduction* / physiology
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Signal Transduction / drug effects
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Signal Transduction / genetics
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Threonine / genetics
Substances
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
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Membrane Transport Modulators
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Peptides
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Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
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Green Fluorescent Proteins
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Threonine
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FMRFamide
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Acetylcholine
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Alanine