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Olson AC, Butt AM, Christie NTM, Shelar A, Koelle MR. Multiple Subthreshold GPCR Signals Combined by the G-Proteins Gα q and Gα s Activate the Caenorhabditis elegans Egg-Laying Muscles. J Neurosci 2023; 43:3789-3806. [PMID: 37055179 PMCID: PMC10219013 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2301-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual neurons or muscle cells express many G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) for neurotransmitters and neuropeptides, yet it remains unclear how cells integrate multiple GPCR signals that all must activate the same few G-proteins. We analyzed this issue in the Caenorhabditis elegans egg-laying system, where multiple GPCRs on muscle cells promote contraction and egg laying. We genetically manipulated individual GPCRs and G-proteins specifically in these muscle cells within intact animals and then measured egg laying and muscle calcium activity. Two serotonin GPCRs on the muscle cells, Gαq-coupled SER-1 and Gαs-coupled SER-7, together promote egg laying in response to serotonin. We found that signals produced by either SER-1/Gαq or SER-7/Gαs alone have little effect, but these two subthreshold signals combine to activate egg laying. We then transgenically expressed natural or designer GPCRs in the muscle cells and found that their subthreshold signals can also combine to induce muscle activity. However, artificially inducing strong signaling through just one of these GPCRs can be sufficient to induce egg laying. Knocking down Gαq and Gαs in the egg-laying muscle cells induced egg-laying defects that were stronger than those of a SER-1/SER-7 double knockout, indicating that additional endogenous GPCRs also activate the muscle cells. These results show that in the egg-laying muscles multiple GPCRs for serotonin and other signals each produce weak effects that individually do not result in strong behavioral outcomes. However, they combine to produce sufficient levels of Gαq and Gαs signaling to promote muscle activity and egg laying.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT How can neurons and other cells gather multiple independent pieces of information from the soup of chemical signals in their environment and compute an appropriate response? Most cells express >20 GPCRs that each receive one signal and transmit that information through three main types of G-proteins. We analyzed how this machinery generates responses by studying the egg-laying system of C. elegans, where serotonin and multiple other signals act through GPCRs on the egg-laying muscles to promote muscle activity and egg laying. We found that individual GPCRs within an intact animal each generate effects too weak to activate egg laying. However, combined signaling from multiple GPCR types reaches a threshold capable of activating the muscle cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C Olson
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06510
| | - Allison M Butt
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06510
| | - Nakeirah T M Christie
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06510
| | - Ashish Shelar
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06510
| | - Michael R Koelle
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06510
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Katz M. Genetic Methods for Cellular Manipulation in C. elegans. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2468:51-72. [PMID: 35320560 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2181-3_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Neuron manipulation in vivo by ablation, activation or inactivation, and regulation of gene expression is essential for dissecting nervous system function. Here we describe genetic means for neuron manipulation in the nematode C. elegans, and provide protocols for generating transgenic animals containing these genetic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menachem Katz
- Department of Biology, Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
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Matúš D, Post WB, Horn S, Schöneberg T, Prömel S. Latrophilin-1 drives neuron morphogenesis and shapes chemo- and mechanosensation-dependent behavior in C. elegans via a trans function. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 589:152-158. [PMID: 34922196 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Latrophilins are highly conserved Adhesion GPCRs playing essential roles in the mammalian nervous system and are associated with severe neurological disorders. Recently, it has been shown that murine Latrophilins mediate classical G-protein signals to drive synaptogenesis. However, there is evidence that Latrophilins in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans can also function independently of their seven-transmembrane domain and C terminus (trans function). Here, we show that Latrophilin-1 acts in trans to mediate morphogenesis of sensory structures in the C. elegans nervous system. This trans function is physiologically relevant in copulation behavior. Detailed expression and RNA-Seq analyses revealed specific LAT-1-positive neurons and first insights into the genetic network that is modulated by the receptor function. We conclude that 7TM-independent functions of Latrophilins are essential for neuronal physiology, possibly complementing canonical functions via G protein-mediated signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Matúš
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Willem Berend Post
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, 04103, Leipzig, Germany; Institute of Cell Biology, Department of Biology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Susanne Horn
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Torsten Schöneberg
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Simone Prömel
- Institute of Cell Biology, Department of Biology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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LeBoeuf B, Chen X, Garcia LR. WNT regulates programmed muscle remodeling through PLC-β and calcineurin in Caenorhabditis elegans males. Development 2020; 147:dev181305. [PMID: 32317273 PMCID: PMC10679511 DOI: 10.1242/dev.181305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
The ability of a muscle to break down and reform fibers is vital for development; however, if unregulated, abnormal muscle remodeling can occur, such as in the heart following cardiac infarction. To study how normal developmental remodeling is mediated, we used fluorescently tagged actin, mutant analyses, Ca2+ imaging and controlled Ca2+ release to determine the mechanisms regulating a conspicuous muscle change that occurs in Caenorhabditis elegans males. In hermaphrodites and larval males, the single cell anal depressor muscle, used for waste expulsion, contains bilateral dorsal-ventral sarcomeres. However, prior to male adulthood, the muscle sex-specifically remodels its sarcomeres anteriorly-posteriorly to promote copulation behavior. Although WNT signaling and calcineurin have been implicated separately in muscle remodeling, we unexpectedly found that they participate in the same pathway. We show that WNT signaling through Gαo and PLC-β results in sustained Ca2+ release via IP3 and ryanodine receptors to activate calcineurin. These results highlight the utility of this new model in identifying additional molecules involved in muscle remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigitte LeBoeuf
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Xin Chen
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Luis Rene Garcia
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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Nakamura A, Oki C, Sawada S, Yoshii T, Kuwata K, Rudd AK, Devaraj NK, Noma K, Tsukiji S. Designer Palmitoylation Motif-Based Self-Localizing Ligand for Sustained Control of Protein Localization in Living Cells and Caenorhabditis elegans. ACS Chem Biol 2020; 15:837-843. [PMID: 32182034 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Inducing protein translocation to the plasma membrane (PM) is an important approach for manipulating diverse signaling molecules/pathways in living cells. We previously devised a new chemogenetic system, in which a protein fused to Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase (eDHFR) can be rapidly translocated from the cytoplasm to the PM using a trimethoprim (TMP)-based self-localizing ligand (SL), mgcTMP. However, mgcTMP-induced protein translocation turned out to be transient and spontaneously reversed within 1 h, limiting its application. Here, we first demonstrated that the spontaneous reverse translocation was caused by cellular degradation of mgcTMP, presumably by proteases. To address this problem, we newly developed a proteolysis-resistant SL, mDcTMP. This mDcTMP now allows sustained PM localization of eDHFR-fusion proteins (over several hours to a day), and it was applicable to inducing prolonged signal activation and cell differentiation. mDcTMP also worked in live nematodes, making it an attractive new tool for probing and controlling living systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akinobu Nakamura
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan
| | - Choji Oki
- Department of Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Sawada
- Department of Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan
| | - Tatsuyuki Yoshii
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
| | - Keiko Kuwata
- Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (ITbM), Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan
| | - Andrew K. Rudd
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Neal K. Devaraj
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Kentaro Noma
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
- Group of Nutritional Neuroscience, Neuroscience Institute, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan
| | - Shinya Tsukiji
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan
- Department of Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan
- Frontier Research Institute for Materials Science (FRIMS), Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan
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G Proteins and GPCRs in C. elegans Development: A Story of Mutual Infidelity. J Dev Biol 2018; 6:jdb6040028. [PMID: 30477278 PMCID: PMC6316442 DOI: 10.3390/jdb6040028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2018] [Revised: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Many vital processes during C. elegans development, especially the establishment and maintenance of cell polarity in embryogenesis, are controlled by complex signaling pathways. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), such as the four Frizzled family Wnt receptors, are linchpins in regulating and orchestrating several of these mechanisms. However, despite being GPCRs, which usually couple to G proteins, these receptors do not seem to activate classical heterotrimeric G protein-mediated signaling cascades. The view on signaling during embryogenesis is further complicated by the fact that heterotrimeric G proteins do play essential roles in cell polarity during embryogenesis, but their activity is modulated in a predominantly GPCR-independent manner via G protein regulators such as GEFs GAPs and GDIs. Further, the triggered downstream effectors are not typical. Only very few GPCR-dependent and G protein-mediated signaling pathways have been unambiguously defined in this context. This unusual and highly intriguing concept of separating GPCR function and G-protein activity, which is not restricted to embryogenesis in C. elegans but can also be found in other organisms, allows for essential and multi-faceted ways of regulating cellular communication and response. Although its relevance cannot be debated, its impact is still poorly discussed, and C. elegans is an ideal model to understand the underlying principles.
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