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McMillen A, Chew Y. Neural mechanisms of dopamine function in learning and memory in Caenorhabditis elegans. Neuronal Signal 2024; 8:NS20230057. [PMID: 38572143 PMCID: PMC10987485 DOI: 10.1042/ns20230057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Research into learning and memory over the past decades has revealed key neurotransmitters that regulate these processes, many of which are evolutionarily conserved across diverse species. The monoamine neurotransmitter dopamine is one example of this, with countless studies demonstrating its importance in regulating behavioural plasticity. However, dopaminergic neural networks in the mammalian brain consist of hundreds or thousands of neurons, and thus cannot be studied at the level of single neurons acting within defined neural circuits. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) has an experimentally tractable nervous system with a completely characterized synaptic connectome. This makes it an advantageous system to undertake mechanistic studies into how dopamine encodes lasting yet flexible behavioural plasticity in the nervous system. In this review, we synthesize the research to date exploring the importance of dopaminergic signalling in learning, memory formation, and forgetting, focusing on research in C. elegans. We also explore the potential for dopamine-specific fluorescent biosensors in C. elegans to visualize dopaminergic neural circuits during learning and memory formation in real-time. We propose that the use of these sensors in C. elegans, in combination with optogenetic and other light-based approaches, will further illuminate the detailed spatiotemporal requirements for encoding behavioural plasticity in an accessible experimental system. Understanding the key molecules and circuit mechanisms that regulate learning and forgetting in more compact invertebrate nervous systems may reveal new druggable targets for enhancing memory storage and delaying memory loss in bigger brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna McMillen
- College of Medicine and Public Health and Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, 5042, South Australia, Australia
| | - Yee Lian Chew
- College of Medicine and Public Health and Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, 5042, South Australia, Australia
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2
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Rosikon KD, Bone MC, Lawal HO. Regulation and modulation of biogenic amine neurotransmission in Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans. Front Physiol 2023; 14:970405. [PMID: 36875033 PMCID: PMC9978017 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.970405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurotransmitters are crucial for the relay of signals between neurons and their target. Monoamine neurotransmitters dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT), and histamine are found in both invertebrates and mammals and are known to control key physiological aspects in health and disease. Others, such as octopamine (OA) and tyramine (TA), are abundant in invertebrates. TA is expressed in both Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster and plays important roles in the regulation of essential life functions in each organism. OA and TA are thought to act as the mammalian homologs of epinephrine and norepinephrine respectively, and when triggered, they act in response to the various stressors in the fight-or-flight response. 5-HT regulates a wide range of behaviors in C. elegans including egg-laying, male mating, locomotion, and pharyngeal pumping. 5-HT acts predominantly through its receptors, of which various classes have been described in both flies and worms. The adult brain of Drosophila is composed of approximately 80 serotonergic neurons, which are involved in modulation of circadian rhythm, feeding, aggression, and long-term memory formation. DA is a major monoamine neurotransmitter that mediates a variety of critical organismal functions and is essential for synaptic transmission in invertebrates as it is in mammals, in which it is also a precursor for the synthesis of adrenaline and noradrenaline. In C. elegans and Drosophila as in mammals, DA receptors play critical roles and are generally grouped into two classes, D1-like and D2-like based on their predicted coupling to downstream G proteins. Drosophila uses histamine as a neurotransmitter in photoreceptors as well as a small number of neurons in the CNS. C. elegans does not use histamine as a neurotransmitter. Here, we review the comprehensive set of known amine neurotransmitters found in invertebrates, and discuss their biological and modulatory functions using the vast literature on both Drosophila and C. elegans. We also suggest the potential interactions between aminergic neurotransmitters systems in the modulation of neurophysiological activity and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna D Rosikon
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, United States
| | - Megan C Bone
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, United States
| | - Hakeem O Lawal
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, United States
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3
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Jiang Y, Gaur U, Cao Z, Hou ST, Zheng W. Dopamine D1- and D2-like receptors oppositely regulate lifespan via a dietary restriction mechanism in Caenorhabditis elegans. BMC Biol 2022; 20:71. [PMID: 35317792 PMCID: PMC8941781 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01272-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite recent progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating aging and lifespan, and the pathways involved being conserved in different species, a full understanding of the aging process has not been reached. In particular, increasing evidence suggests an active role for the nervous system in lifespan regulation, with sensory neurons, as well as serotonin and GABA signaling, having been shown to regulate lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). However, the contribution of additional neural factors, and a broad understanding of the role of the nervous system in regulating aging remains to be established. Here, we examine the impact of the dopamine system in regulating aging in C. elegans. RESULTS We report that mutations of DOP-4, a dopamine D1-like receptor (D1R), and DOP-2, a dopamine D2-like receptor (D2R) oppositely affected lifespan, fast body movement span, reproductive lifespan, and developmental rate in C. elegans. Activation of D2R using aripiprazole, an antipsychotic drug, robustly extended both lifespan and healthspan. Conversely, inhibition of D2R using quetiapine shortened worm lifespan, further supporting the role of dopamine receptors in lifespan regulation. Mechanistically, D2R signaling regulates lifespan through a dietary restriction mechanism mediated by the AAK-2-DAF-16 pathway. The DAG-PKC/PKD pathway links signaling between dopamine receptors and the downstream AAK-2-DAF-16 pathway to transmit longevity signals. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrated a novel role of dopamine receptors in lifespan and dietary restriction regulation. The clinically approved antipsychotic aripiprazole holds potential as a novel anti-aging drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yizhou Jiang
- Centre of Reproduction, Development & Aging and Institute of Translation Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau, China.,Brain Research Centre and Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Blvd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Uma Gaur
- Centre of Reproduction, Development & Aging and Institute of Translation Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Zhibai Cao
- Centre of Reproduction, Development & Aging and Institute of Translation Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Sheng-Tao Hou
- Brain Research Centre and Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Blvd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China.
| | - Wenhua Zheng
- Centre of Reproduction, Development & Aging and Institute of Translation Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau, China.
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4
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Chou SH, Chen YJ, Liao CP, Pan CL. A role for dopamine in C. elegans avoidance behavior induced by mitochondrial stress. Neurosci Res 2022; 178:87-92. [PMID: 35074444 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2022.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Physiological stress triggers aversive learning that profoundly alters animal behavior. Systemic mitochondrial disruption induces avoidance of C. elegans to non-pathogenic food bacteria. Mutations in cat-2 and dat-1, which control dopamine synthesis and reuptake, respectively, impair this learned bacterial avoidance, suggesting that dopaminergic modulation is essential. Cell-specific rescue experiments indicate that dopamine likely acts from the CEP and ADE neurons to regulate learned bacterial avoidance. We find that mutations in multiple dopamine receptor genes, including dop-1, dop-2 and dop-3, reduced learned bacterial avoidance. Our work reveals a role for dopamine signaling in C. elegans learned avoidance behavior induced by mitochondrial stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shih-Hua Chou
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10002, Taiwan; Center of Precision Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Ju Chen
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10002, Taiwan; Center of Precision Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Po Liao
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Liang Pan
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10002, Taiwan; Center of Precision Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10002, Taiwan.
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5
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Xu Y, Zhang L, Liu Y, Topalidou I, Hassinan C, Ailion M, Zhao Z, Wang T, Chen Z, Bai J. Dopamine receptor DOP-1 engages a sleep pathway to modulate swimming in C. elegans. iScience 2021; 24:102247. [PMID: 33796839 PMCID: PMC7995527 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals require robust yet flexible programs to support locomotion. Here we report a pathway that connects the D1-like dopamine receptor DOP-1 with a sleep mechanism to modulate swimming in C. elegans. We show that DOP-1 plays a negative role in sustaining swimming behavior. By contrast, a pathway through the D2-like dopamine receptor DOP-3 negatively regulates the initiation of swimming, but its impact fades quickly over a few minutes. We find that DOP-1 and the GPCR kinase (G-protein-coupled receptor kinase-2) function in the sleep interneuron RIS, where DOP-1 modulates the secretion of a sleep neuropeptide FLP-11. We further show that DOP-1 and FLP-11 act in the same pathway to modulate swimming. Together, these results delineate a functional connection between a dopamine receptor and a sleep program to regulate swimming in C. elegans. The temporal transition between DOP-3 and DOP-1 pathways highlights the dynamic nature of neuromodulation for rhythmic movements that persist over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Xu
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, P. R. China.,Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue N., Seattle, WA 98109, USA.,Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Hainan Medical University, Hainan 570102, P. R. China
| | - Lin Zhang
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue N., Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Yan Liu
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue N., Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Irini Topalidou
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, WA 98195
| | - Cera Hassinan
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue N., Seattle, WA 98109, USA.,Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98019
| | - Michael Ailion
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, WA 98195
| | - Zhenqiang Zhao
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Hainan Medical University, Hainan 570102, P. R. China
| | - Tan Wang
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Hainan Medical University, Hainan 570102, P. R. China
| | - Zhibin Chen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, P. R. China.,Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Hainan Medical University, Hainan 570102, P. R. China
| | - Jihong Bai
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue N., Seattle, WA 98109, USA.,Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98019.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, WA 98195
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6
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Nourse JB, Harshefi G, Marom A, Karmi A, Cohen Ben-Ami H, Caldwell KA, Caldwell GA, Treinin M. Conserved nicotine-activated neuroprotective pathways involve mitochondrial stress. iScience 2021; 24:102140. [PMID: 33665559 PMCID: PMC7900352 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Tobacco smoking is a risk factor for several human diseases. Conversely, smoking also reduces the prevalence of Parkinson's disease, whose hallmark is degeneration of substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons (DNs). We use C. elegans as a model to investigate whether tobacco-derived nicotine activates nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) to selectively protect DNs. Using this model, we demonstrate conserved functions of DN-expressed nAChRs. We find that DOP-2, a D3-receptor homolog; MCU-1, a mitochondrial calcium uniporter; PINK-1 (PTEN-induced kinase 1); and PDR-1 (Parkin) are required for nicotine-mediated protection of DNs. Together, our results support involvement of a calcium-modulated, mitochondrial stress-activated PINK1/Parkin-dependent pathway in nicotine-induced neuroprotection. This suggests that nicotine-selective protection of substantia nigra DNs is due to the confluence of two factors: first, their unique vulnerability to mitochondrial stress, which is mitigated by increased mitochondrial quality control due to PINK1 activation, and second, their specific expression of D3-receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Brucker Nourse
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, 35487 AL, USA
| | - Gilad Harshefi
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Hebrew University - Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Adi Marom
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Hebrew University - Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Abdelrahaman Karmi
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Hebrew University - Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Hagit Cohen Ben-Ami
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Hebrew University - Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Kim A Caldwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, 35487 AL, USA.,Departments of Neurology and Neurobiology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, 35294 AL, USA
| | - Guy A Caldwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, 35487 AL, USA.,Departments of Neurology and Neurobiology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, 35294 AL, USA
| | - Millet Treinin
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Hebrew University - Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
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7
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Pandey P, Singh A, Kaur H, Ghosh-Roy A, Babu K. Increased dopaminergic neurotransmission results in ethanol dependent sedative behaviors in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009346. [PMID: 33524034 PMCID: PMC7877767 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ethanol is a widely used drug, excessive consumption of which could lead to medical conditions with diverse symptoms. Ethanol abuse causes dysfunction of memory, attention, speech and locomotion across species. Dopamine signaling plays an essential role in ethanol dependent behaviors in animals ranging from C. elegans to humans. We devised an ethanol dependent assay in which mutants in the dopamine autoreceptor, dop-2, displayed a unique sedative locomotory behavior causing the animals to move in circles while dragging the posterior half of their body. Here, we identify the posterior dopaminergic sensory neuron as being essential to modulate this behavior. We further demonstrate that in dop-2 mutants, ethanol exposure increases dopamine secretion and functions in a DVA interneuron dependent manner. DVA releases the neuropeptide NLP-12 that is known to function through cholinergic motor neurons and affect movement. Thus, DOP-2 modulates dopamine levels at the synapse and regulates alcohol induced movement through NLP-12.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratima Pandey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Mohali, India
| | - Anuradha Singh
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Mohali, India
| | - Harjot Kaur
- National Brain Research Centre, Gurgaon, India
| | | | - Kavita Babu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Mohali, India
- Centre for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, India
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8
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Krum BN, Martins AC, Queirós L, Ferrer B, Milne GL, Soares FAA, Fachinetto R, Aschner M. Haloperidol Interactions with the dop-3 Receptor in Caenorhabditis elegans. Mol Neurobiol 2020; 58:304-316. [PMID: 32935232 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-020-02124-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Haloperidol is a typical antipsychotic drug commonly used to treat a broad range of psychiatric disorders related to dysregulations in the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA). DA modulates important physiologic functions and perturbations in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) and, its signaling have been associated with alterations in behavioral, molecular, and morphologic properties in C. elegans. Here, we evaluated the possible involvement of dopaminergic receptors in the onset of these alterations followed by haloperidol exposure. Haloperidol increased lifespan and decreased locomotor behavior (basal slowing response, BSR, and locomotion speed via forward speed) of the worms. Moreover, locomotion speed recovered to basal conditions upon haloperidol withdrawal. Haloperidol also decreased DA levels, but it did not alter neither dop-1, dop-2, and dop-3 gene expression, nor CEP dopaminergic neurons' morphology. These effects are likely due to haloperidol's antagonism of the D2-type DA receptor, dop-3. Furthermore, this antagonism appears to affect mechanistic pathways involved in the modulation and signaling of neurotransmitters such as octopamine, acetylcholine, and GABA, which may underlie at least in part haloperidol's effects. These pathways are conserved in vertebrates and have been implicated in a range of disorders. Our novel findings demonstrate that the dop-3 receptor plays an important role in the effects of haloperidol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara Nunes Krum
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Camobi, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil.,Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, Forccheimer 209, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Airton C Martins
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, Forccheimer 209, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Libânia Queirós
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, Forccheimer 209, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.,Department of Biology and CESAM (Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies), University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Beatriz Ferrer
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, Forccheimer 209, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Ginger L Milne
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37240, USA
| | - Félix Alexandre Antunes Soares
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, Forccheimer 209, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.,Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Camobi, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Roselei Fachinetto
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Camobi, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, Forccheimer 209, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
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9
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Dufour S, Quérat B, Tostivint H, Pasqualini C, Vaudry H, Rousseau K. Origin and Evolution of the Neuroendocrine Control of Reproduction in Vertebrates, With Special Focus on Genome and Gene Duplications. Physiol Rev 2019; 100:869-943. [PMID: 31625459 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00009.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In humans, as in the other mammals, the neuroendocrine control of reproduction is ensured by the brain-pituitary gonadotropic axis. Multiple internal and environmental cues are integrated via brain neuronal networks, ultimately leading to the modulation of the activity of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons. The decapeptide GnRH is released into the hypothalamic-hypophysial portal blood system and stimulates the production of pituitary glycoprotein hormones, the two gonadotropins luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone. A novel actor, the neuropeptide kisspeptin, acting upstream of GnRH, has attracted increasing attention in recent years. Other neuropeptides, such as gonadotropin-inhibiting hormone/RF-amide related peptide, and other members of the RF-amide peptide superfamily, as well as various nonpeptidic neuromediators such as dopamine and serotonin also provide a large panel of stimulatory or inhibitory regulators. This paper addresses the origin and evolution of the vertebrate gonadotropic axis. Brain-pituitary neuroendocrine axes are typical of vertebrates, the pituitary gland, mediator and amplifier of brain control on peripheral organs, being a vertebrate innovation. The paper reviews, from molecular and functional perspectives, the evolution across vertebrate radiation of some key actors of the vertebrate neuroendocrine control of reproduction and traces back their origin along the vertebrate lineage and in other metazoa before the emergence of vertebrates. A focus is given on how gene duplications, resulting from either local events or from whole genome duplication events, and followed by paralogous gene loss or conservation, might have shaped the evolutionary scenarios of current families of key actors of the gonadotropic axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie Dufour
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Biology of Aquatic Organisms and Ecosystems, CNRS, IRD, Sorbonne Université, Université Caen Normandie, Université des Antilles, Paris, France; Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cite, Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Paris, France; INSERM U1133, Physiologie de l'axe Gonadotrope, Paris, France; Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Physiologie Moléculaire et Adaptation, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France; Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience (UMR 9197), Gif-sur-Yvette, France; and Université de Rouen Normandie, Rouen, France
| | - Bruno Quérat
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Biology of Aquatic Organisms and Ecosystems, CNRS, IRD, Sorbonne Université, Université Caen Normandie, Université des Antilles, Paris, France; Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cite, Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Paris, France; INSERM U1133, Physiologie de l'axe Gonadotrope, Paris, France; Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Physiologie Moléculaire et Adaptation, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France; Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience (UMR 9197), Gif-sur-Yvette, France; and Université de Rouen Normandie, Rouen, France
| | - Hervé Tostivint
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Biology of Aquatic Organisms and Ecosystems, CNRS, IRD, Sorbonne Université, Université Caen Normandie, Université des Antilles, Paris, France; Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cite, Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Paris, France; INSERM U1133, Physiologie de l'axe Gonadotrope, Paris, France; Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Physiologie Moléculaire et Adaptation, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France; Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience (UMR 9197), Gif-sur-Yvette, France; and Université de Rouen Normandie, Rouen, France
| | - Catherine Pasqualini
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Biology of Aquatic Organisms and Ecosystems, CNRS, IRD, Sorbonne Université, Université Caen Normandie, Université des Antilles, Paris, France; Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cite, Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Paris, France; INSERM U1133, Physiologie de l'axe Gonadotrope, Paris, France; Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Physiologie Moléculaire et Adaptation, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France; Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience (UMR 9197), Gif-sur-Yvette, France; and Université de Rouen Normandie, Rouen, France
| | - Hubert Vaudry
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Biology of Aquatic Organisms and Ecosystems, CNRS, IRD, Sorbonne Université, Université Caen Normandie, Université des Antilles, Paris, France; Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cite, Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Paris, France; INSERM U1133, Physiologie de l'axe Gonadotrope, Paris, France; Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Physiologie Moléculaire et Adaptation, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France; Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience (UMR 9197), Gif-sur-Yvette, France; and Université de Rouen Normandie, Rouen, France
| | - Karine Rousseau
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Biology of Aquatic Organisms and Ecosystems, CNRS, IRD, Sorbonne Université, Université Caen Normandie, Université des Antilles, Paris, France; Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cite, Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Paris, France; INSERM U1133, Physiologie de l'axe Gonadotrope, Paris, France; Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Physiologie Moléculaire et Adaptation, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France; Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience (UMR 9197), Gif-sur-Yvette, France; and Université de Rouen Normandie, Rouen, France
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10
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Formisano R, Mersha MD, Caplan J, Singh A, Rankin CH, Tavernarakis N, Dhillon HS. Synaptic vesicle fusion is modulated through feedback inhibition by dopamine auto-receptors. Synapse 2019; 74:e22131. [PMID: 31494966 DOI: 10.1002/syn.22131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Mechanisms of synaptic vesicular fusion and neurotransmitter clearance are highly controlled processes whose finely-tuned regulation is critical for neural function. This modulation has been suggested to involve pre-synaptic auto-receptors; however, their underlying mechanisms of action remain unclear. Previous studies with the well-defined C. elegans nervous system have used functional imaging to implicate acid sensing ion channels (ASIC-1) to describe synaptic vesicle fusion dynamics within its eight dopaminergic neurons. Implementing a similar imaging approach with a pH-sensitive fluorescent reporter and fluorescence resonance after photobleaching (FRAP), we analyzed dynamic imaging data collected from individual synaptic termini in live animals. We present evidence that constitutive fusion of neurotransmitter vesicles on dopaminergic synaptic termini is modulated through DOP-2 auto-receptors via a negative feedback loop. Integrating our previous results showing the role of ASIC-1 in a positive feedback loop, we also put forth an updated model for synaptic vesicle fusion in which, along with DAT-1 and ASIC-1, the dopamine auto-receptor DOP-2 lies at a modulatory hub at dopaminergic synapses. Our findings are of potential broader significance as similar mechanisms are likely to be used by auto-receptors for other small molecule neurotransmitters across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosaria Formisano
- Department of Biological Sciences, Delaware State University, Dover, Delaware
| | - Mahlet D Mersha
- Department of Biological Sciences, Delaware State University, Dover, Delaware
| | - Jeff Caplan
- Delaware Biotechnology Institute, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
| | - Abhyudai Singh
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
| | - Catharine H Rankin
- Department of Psychology and DM Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nektarios Tavernarakis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Harbinder S Dhillon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Delaware State University, Dover, Delaware
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11
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Suo S, Harada K, Matsuda S, Kyo K, Wang M, Maruyama K, Awaji T, Tsuboi T. Sexually Dimorphic Regulation of Behavioral States by Dopamine in Caenorhabditis elegans. J Neurosci 2019; 39:4668-4683. [PMID: 30988167 PMCID: PMC6561698 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2985-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2018] [Revised: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in behavior allow animals to effectively mate and reproduce. However, the mechanism by which biological sex regulates behavioral states, which underlie the regulation of sex-shared behaviors, such as locomotion, is largely unknown. In this study, we studied sex differences in the behavioral states of Caenorhabditis elegans and found that males spend less time in a low locomotor activity state than hermaphrodites and that dopamine generates this sex difference. In males, dopamine reduces the low activity state by acting in the same pathway as polycystic kidney disease-related genes that function in male-specific neurons. In hermaphrodites, dopamine increases the low activity state by suppression of octopamine signaling in the sex-shared SIA neurons, which have reduced responsiveness to octopamine in males. Furthermore, dopamine promotes exploration both inside and outside of bacterial lawn (the food source) in males and suppresses it in hermaphrodites. These results demonstrate that sexually dimorphic signaling allows the same neuromodulator to promote adaptive behavior for each sex.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The mechanisms that generate sex differences in sex-shared behaviors, including locomotion, are not well understood. We show that there are sex differences in the regulation of behavioral states in the model animal Caenorhabditis elegans Dopamine promotes the high locomotor activity state in males, which must search for mates to reproduce, and suppresses it in self-fertilizing hermaphrodites through distinct molecular mechanisms. This study demonstrates that sex-specific signaling generates sex differences in the regulation of behavioral states, which in turn modulates the locomotor activity to suit reproduction for each sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Suo
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, 350-0495, Japan,
| | - Kazuki Harada
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 153-8902, Japan
| | - Shogo Matsuda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan, and
| | - Koki Kyo
- Department of Human Sciences, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, 350-0495, Japan
| | - Kei Maruyama
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, 350-0495, Japan
| | - Takeo Awaji
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, 350-0495, Japan
| | - Takashi Tsuboi
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 153-8902, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan, and
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12
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Cannabinoids Stimulate the TRP Channel-Dependent Release of Both Serotonin and Dopamine to Modulate Behavior in C. elegans. J Neurosci 2019; 39:4142-4152. [PMID: 30886012 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2371-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cannabis sativa alters sensory perception and exhibits potential medicinal benefits. In mammals, cannabinoids activate two canonical receptors, CB1/CB2, as well additional receptors/ion channels whose overall contributions to cannabinoid signaling have yet to be fully assessed. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the endogenous cannabinoid receptor agonist, 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) activates a CB1 ortholog, NPR-19, to modulate behavior (Oakes et al., 2017). In addition, 2-AG stimulates the NPR-19 independent release of both serotonin (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) from subsets of monoaminergic neurons to modulate locomotory behaviors through a complex monoaminergic signaling pathway involving multiple serotonin and dopamine receptors. 2-AG also inhibits locomotion in remodeled monoamine receptor mutant animals designed to measure the acute release of either 5-HT or DA, confirming the direct effects of 2-AG on monoamine release. 2-AG-dependent locomotory inhibition requires the expression of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) and TRPN-like channels in the serotonergic or dopaminergic neurons, respectively, and the acute pharmacological inhibition of the TRPV1-like channel abolishes both 2-AG-dependent 5-HT release and locomotory inhibition, suggesting the 2-AG may activate the channel directly. This study highlights the advantages of identifying and assessing both CB1/CB2-dependent and independent cannabinoid signaling pathways in a genetically tractable, mammalian predictive model, where cannabinoid signaling at the molecular/neuronal levels can be correlated directly with changes in behavior.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This study is focused on assessing CB1/CB2-independent cannabinoid signaling in a genetically tractable, whole-animal model where cannabinoid signaling at the molecular/neuronal levels can be correlated with behavioral change. Caenorhabditis elegans contains a cannabinoid signaling system mediated by a canonical cannabinoid receptor, NPR-19, with orthology to human CB1/CB2 (Oakes et al., 2017). The present study has characterized an NPR-19-independent signaling pathway that involves the cannabinoid-dependent release of both serotonin and dopamine and the expression of distinct TRP-like channels on the monoaminergic neurons. Our work should be of interest to those studying the complexities of CB1/CB2-independent cannabinoid signaling, the role of TRP channels in the modulation of monoaminergic signaling, and the cannabinoid-dependent modulation of behavior.
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13
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Koelle MR. Neurotransmitter signaling through heterotrimeric G proteins: insights from studies in C. elegans. WORMBOOK : THE ONLINE REVIEW OF C. ELEGANS BIOLOGY 2018; 2018:1-52. [PMID: 26937633 PMCID: PMC5010795 DOI: 10.1895/wormbook.1.75.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Neurotransmitters signal via G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) to modulate activity of neurons and muscles. C. elegans has ∼150 G protein coupled neuropeptide receptor homologs and 28 additional GPCRs for small-molecule neurotransmitters. Genetic studies in C. elegans demonstrate that neurotransmitters diffuse far from their release sites to activate GPCRs on distant cells. Individual receptor types are expressed on limited numbers of cells and thus can provide very specific regulation of an individual neural circuit and behavior. G protein coupled neurotransmitter receptors signal principally via the three types of heterotrimeric G proteins defined by the G alpha subunits Gαo, Gαq, and Gαs. Each of these G alpha proteins is found in all neurons plus some muscles. Gαo and Gαq signaling inhibit and activate neurotransmitter release, respectively. Gαs signaling, like Gαq signaling, promotes neurotransmitter release. Many details of the signaling mechanisms downstream of Gαq and Gαs have been delineated and are consistent with those of their mammalian orthologs. The details of the signaling mechanism downstream of Gαo remain a mystery. Forward genetic screens in C. elegans have identified new molecular components of neural G protein signaling mechanisms, including Regulators of G protein Signaling (RGS proteins) that inhibit signaling, a new Gαq effector (the Trio RhoGEF domain), and the RIC-8 protein that is required for neuronal Gα signaling. A model is presented in which G proteins sum up the variety of neuromodulator signals that impinge on a neuron to calculate its appropriate output level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Koelle
- Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven CT 06520 USA
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14
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Cao J, Packer JS, Ramani V, Cusanovich DA, Huynh C, Daza R, Qiu X, Lee C, Furlan SN, Steemers FJ, Adey A, Waterston RH, Trapnell C, Shendure J. Comprehensive single-cell transcriptional profiling of a multicellular organism. Science 2017; 357:661-667. [PMID: 28818938 DOI: 10.1126/science.aam8940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 822] [Impact Index Per Article: 117.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Revised: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
To resolve cellular heterogeneity, we developed a combinatorial indexing strategy to profile the transcriptomes of single cells or nuclei, termed sci-RNA-seq (single-cell combinatorial indexing RNA sequencing). We applied sci-RNA-seq to profile nearly 50,000 cells from the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans at the L2 larval stage, which provided >50-fold "shotgun" cellular coverage of its somatic cell composition. From these data, we defined consensus expression profiles for 27 cell types and recovered rare neuronal cell types corresponding to as few as one or two cells in the L2 worm. We integrated these profiles with whole-animal chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing data to deconvolve the cell type-specific effects of transcription factors. The data generated by sci-RNA-seq constitute a powerful resource for nematode biology and foreshadow similar atlases for other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyue Cao
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jonathan S Packer
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Vijay Ramani
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Chau Huynh
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Riza Daza
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Xiaojie Qiu
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Choli Lee
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Scott N Furlan
- Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Andrew Adey
- Department of Molecular & Medical Genetics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.,Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Robert H Waterston
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Cole Trapnell
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Jay Shendure
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
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15
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The Atypical MAP Kinase SWIP-13/ERK8 Regulates Dopamine Transporters through a Rho-Dependent Mechanism. J Neurosci 2017; 37:9288-9304. [PMID: 28842414 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1582-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Revised: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) regulates multiple behaviors across phylogeny, with disrupted DA signaling in humans associated with addiction, attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, and Parkinson's disease. The DA transporter (DAT) imposes spatial and temporal limits on DA action, and provides for presynaptic DA recycling to replenish neurotransmitter pools. Molecular mechanisms that regulate DAT expression, trafficking, and function, particularly in vivo, remain poorly understood, though recent studies have implicated rho-linked pathways in psychostimulant action. To identify genes that dictate the ability of DAT to sustain normal levels of DA clearance, we pursued a forward genetic screen in Caenorhabditis elegans based on the phenotype swimming-induced paralysis (Swip), a paralytic behavior observed in hermaphrodite worms with loss-of-function dat-1 mutations. Here, we report the identity of swip-13, which encodes a highly conserved ortholog of the human atypical MAP kinase ERK8. We present evidence that SWIP-13 acts presynaptically to insure adequate levels of surface DAT expression and DA clearance. Moreover, we provide in vitro and in vivo evidence supporting a conserved pathway involving SWIP-13/ERK8 activation of Rho GTPases that dictates DAT surface expression and function.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Signaling by the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) is tightly regulated by the DA transporter (DAT), insuring efficient DA clearance after release. Molecular networks that regulate DAT are poorly understood, particularly in vivo Using a forward genetic screen in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, we implicate the atypical mitogen activated protein kinase, SWIP-13, in DAT regulation. Moreover, we provide in vitro and in vivo evidence that SWIP-13, as well as its human counterpart ERK8, regulate DAT surface availability via the activation of Rho proteins. Our findings implicate a novel pathway that regulates DA synaptic availability and that may contribute to risk for disorders linked to perturbed DA signaling. Targeting this pathway may be of value in the development of therapeutics in such disorders.
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16
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Cao J, Packer JS, Ramani V, Cusanovich DA, Huynh C, Daza R, Qiu X, Lee C, Furlan SN, Steemers FJ, Adey A, Waterston RH, Trapnell C, Shendure J. Comprehensive single-cell transcriptional profiling of a multicellular organism. Science 2017. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aam8940 order by 10746--] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Junyue Cao
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jonathan S. Packer
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Vijay Ramani
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Chau Huynh
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Riza Daza
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Xiaojie Qiu
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Choli Lee
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Scott N. Furlan
- Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Andrew Adey
- Department of Molecular & Medical Genetics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Portland, OR, USA
| | | | - Cole Trapnell
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jay Shendure
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
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17
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Two dopamine D2-like receptor genes from the silkworm (Bombyx mori) and their evolutionary history in metazoan. Sci Rep 2017; 7:6848. [PMID: 28754962 PMCID: PMC5533763 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-07055-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine is widely distributed in metazoans and is implicated in many physiological functions. Dopaminergic signaling is mediated through two classes of dopamine receptors, D1-like and D2-like. Phylogeny analysis reveals that, the dopamine receptors probably appeared ahead of the cnidarian divergence, two distinct classes of dopamine receptors likely formed prior to the separation of deuterostomes and protostomes, and INDRs probably split from its ancestor before the emergence of nematodes. Two D2-like genes are closely linked on the same scaffold, and the chromosome region around D2-like gene loci show colinearity among different species within Lepidoptera. These indicate two D2-like and their adjunction genes are likely Lepidoptera-specific orthologs, and occur by gene duplication event taken place after Lepidoptera ancestor split from the common ancestor of Lepidoptera and Diptera. In silkworm, two D2-like genes were expressed in examined tissues, and encoded BmDop2R2 having all the features of D2-like receptors and BmDop2R1 being a truncated variant without the region of N-terminal to TM II. Only dopamine distinctly lowered cAMP levels in BmDop2R2-expressing cells, whereas all tested amines for BmDop2R1 had not markedly effect in pharmacological test. These suggest there is functional difference between the two genes, which are likely resulted from subfunctionalization of gene duplication.
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18
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Maulik M, Mitra S, Bult-Ito A, Taylor BE, Vayndorf EM. Behavioral Phenotyping and Pathological Indicators of Parkinson's Disease in C. elegans Models. Front Genet 2017; 8:77. [PMID: 28659967 PMCID: PMC5468440 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2017.00077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with symptoms that progressively worsen with age. Pathologically, PD is characterized by the aggregation of α-synuclein in cells of the substantia nigra in the brain and loss of dopaminergic neurons. This pathology is associated with impaired movement and reduced cognitive function. The etiology of PD can be attributed to a combination of environmental and genetic factors. A popular animal model, the nematode roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, has been frequently used to study the role of genetic and environmental factors in the molecular pathology and behavioral phenotypes associated with PD. The current review summarizes cellular markers and behavioral phenotypes in transgenic and toxin-induced PD models of C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malabika Maulik
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Alaska FairbanksFairbanks, AK, United States
| | - Swarup Mitra
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Alaska FairbanksFairbanks, AK, United States
| | - Abel Bult-Ito
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska FairbanksFairbanks, AK, United States
| | - Barbara E Taylor
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Long BeachLong Beach, CA, United States
| | - Elena M Vayndorf
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska FairbanksFairbanks, AK, United States
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19
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Dopamine regulates body size in Caenorhabditis elegans. Dev Biol 2016; 412:128-138. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2015] [Revised: 01/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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20
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Bermingham DP, Hardaway JA, Snarrenberg CL, Robinson SB, Folkes OM, Salimando GJ, Jinnah H, Blakely RD. Acute blockade of the Caenorhabditis elegans dopamine transporter DAT-1 by the mammalian norepinephrine transporter inhibitor nisoxetine reveals the influence of genetic modifications of dopamine signaling in vivo. Neurochem Int 2016; 98:122-8. [PMID: 26850478 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2016.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2015] [Revised: 01/29/2016] [Accepted: 01/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Modulation of neurotransmission by the catecholamine dopamine (DA) is conserved across phylogeny. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, excess DA signaling triggers Swimming-Induced Paralysis (Swip), a phenotype first described in animals with loss of function mutations in the presynaptic DA transporter (dat-1). Swip has proven to be a phenotype suitable for the identification of novel dat-1 mutations as well as the identification of novel genes that impact DA signaling. Pharmacological manipulations can also induce Swip, though the reagents employed to date lack specificity and potency, limiting their use in evaluation of dat-1 expression and function. Our lab previously established the mammalian norepinephrine transporter (NET) inhibitor nisoxetine to be a potent antagonist of DA uptake conferred by DAT-1 following heterologous expression. Here we demonstrate the ability of low (μM) concentrations of nisoxetine to trigger Swip within minutes of incubation, with paralysis dependent on DA release and signaling, and non-additive with Swip triggered by dat-1 deletion. Using nisoxetine in combination with genetic mutations that impact DA release, we further demonstrate the utility of the drug for demonstrating contributions of presynaptic DA receptors and ion channels to Swip. Together, these findings reveal nisoxetine as a powerful reagent for monitoring multiple dimensions of DA signaling in vivo, thus providing a new resource that can be used to evaluate contributions of dat-1 and other genes linked to DA signaling without the potential for compensations that attend constitutive genetic mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel P Bermingham
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240-7933, USA
| | - J Andrew Hardaway
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240-7933, USA
| | - Chelsea L Snarrenberg
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240-7933, USA
| | - Sarah B Robinson
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240-7933, USA
| | - Oakleigh M Folkes
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240-7933, USA
| | - Greg J Salimando
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240-7933, USA
| | - Hussain Jinnah
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240-7933, USA
| | - Randy D Blakely
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240-7933, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37240-7933, USA.
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21
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Verlinden H, Vleugels R, Verdonck R, Urlacher E, Vanden Broeck J, Mercer A. Pharmacological and signalling properties of a D2-like dopamine receptor (Dop3) in Tribolium castaneum. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2015; 56:9-20. [PMID: 25449128 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2014.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2014] [Revised: 11/05/2014] [Accepted: 11/06/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter in the central nervous system of vertebrates and invertebrates. Despite their evolutionary distance, striking parallels exist between deuterostomian and protostomian dopaminergic systems. In both, signalling is achieved via a complement of functionally distinct dopamine receptors. In this study, we investigated the sequence, pharmacology and tissue distribution of a D2-like dopamine receptor from the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum (TricaDop3) and compared it with related G protein-coupled receptors in other invertebrate species. The TricaDop3 receptor-encoding cDNA shows considerable sequence similarity with members of the Dop3 receptor class. Real time qRT-PCR showed high expression in both the central brain and the optic lobes, consistent with the role of dopamine as neurotransmitter. Activation of TricaDop3 expressed in mammalian cells increased intracellular Ca(2+) signalling and decreased NKH-477 (a forskolin analogue)-stimulated cyclic AMP levels in a dose-dependent manner. We studied the pharmacological profile of the TricaDop3 receptor and demonstrated that the synthetic vertebrate dopamine receptor agonists, 2 - amino- 6,7 - dihydroxy - 1,2,3,4 - tetrahydronaphthalene hydrobromide (6,7-ADTN) and bromocriptine acted as agonists. Methysergide was the most potent of the antagonists tested and showed competitive inhibition in the presence of dopamine. This study offers important information on the Dop3 receptor from Tribolium castaneum that will facilitate functional analyses of dopamine receptors in insects and other invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heleen Verlinden
- Department of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin, New Zealand.
| | - Rut Vleugels
- Department of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rik Verdonck
- Department of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Elodie Urlacher
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Jozef Vanden Broeck
- Department of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alison Mercer
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin, New Zealand
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22
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A conserved dopamine-cholecystokinin signaling pathway shapes context-dependent Caenorhabditis elegans behavior. PLoS Genet 2014; 10:e1004584. [PMID: 25167143 PMCID: PMC4148232 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2014] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
An organism's ability to thrive in changing environmental conditions requires the capacity for making flexible behavioral responses. Here we show that, in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, foraging responses to changes in food availability require nlp-12, a homolog of the mammalian neuropeptide cholecystokinin (CCK). nlp-12 expression is limited to a single interneuron (DVA) that is postsynaptic to dopaminergic neurons involved in food-sensing, and presynaptic to locomotory control neurons. NLP-12 release from DVA is regulated through the D1-like dopamine receptor DOP-1, and both nlp-12 and dop-1 are required for normal local food searching responses. nlp-12/CCK overexpression recapitulates characteristics of local food searching, and DVA ablation or mutations disrupting muscle acetylcholine receptor function attenuate these effects. Conversely, nlp-12 deletion reverses behavioral and functional changes associated with genetically enhanced muscle acetylcholine receptor activity. Thus, our data suggest that dopamine-mediated sensory information about food availability shapes foraging in a context-dependent manner through peptide modulation of locomotory output. Animal behavior is profoundly affected by contextual information about the internal state of the organism as well as sensory information about the external environment. A class of signaling molecules known as neuropeptides have been implicated in driving transitions between behavioral states (e.g., from food seeking to satiety and back) but we have only a limited understanding of how neuropeptide signaling modulates neural circuit activity and elicits context-dependent behaviors. Here we identify a novel mechanism by which C. elegans modulate their behavior in response to sensory information about food. We show that dopaminergic regulation of NLP-12, a C. elegans homolog of the mammalian neuropeptide cholecystokinin (CCK), shapes behavioral transitions that are central to food searching. Given the conserved nature of these signaling pathways, our work raises the interesting possibility that dopamine modulation of CCK signaling represents a general mechanism by which nervous systems shape context-dependent behavioral changes.
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Topper SM, Aguilar SC, Topper VY, Elbel E, Pierce-Shimomura JT. Alcohol disinhibition of behaviors in C. elegans. PLoS One 2014; 9:e92965. [PMID: 24681782 PMCID: PMC3969370 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0092965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2013] [Accepted: 02/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol has a wide variety of effects on physiology and behavior. One of the most well-recognized behavioral effects is disinhibition, where behaviors that are normally suppressed are displayed following intoxication. A large body of evidence has shown that alcohol-induced disinhibition in humans affects attention, verbal, sexual, and locomotor behaviors. Similar behavioral disinhibition is also seen in many animal models of ethanol response, from invertebrates to mammals and primates. Here we describe several examples of disinhibition in the nematode C. elegans. The nematode displays distinct behavioral states associated with locomotion (crawling on land and swimming in water) that are mediated by dopamine. On land, animals crawl and feed freely, but these behaviors are inhibited in water. We found that additional behaviors, including a variety of escape responses are also inhibited in water. Whereas alcohol non-specifically impaired locomotion, feeding, and escape responses in worms on land, alcohol specifically disinhibited these behaviors in worms immersed in water. Loss of dopamine signaling relieved disinhibition of feeding behavior, while loss of the D1-like dopamine receptor DOP-4 impaired the ethanol-induced disinhibition of crawling. The powerful genetics and simple nervous system of C. elegans may help uncover conserved molecular mechanisms that underlie alcohol-induced disinhibition of behaviors in higher animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen M. Topper
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, Cell & Molecular Biology, Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Sara C. Aguilar
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, Cell & Molecular Biology, Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Viktoria Y. Topper
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, Cell & Molecular Biology, Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Erin Elbel
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, Cell & Molecular Biology, Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jonathan T. Pierce-Shimomura
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, Cell & Molecular Biology, Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Barros AGDA, Bridi JC, de Souza BR, de Castro Júnior C, de Lima Torres KC, Malard L, Jorio A, de Miranda DM, Ashrafi K, Romano-Silva MA. Dopamine signaling regulates fat content through β-oxidation in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS One 2014; 9:e85874. [PMID: 24465759 PMCID: PMC3899111 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2013] [Accepted: 12/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The regulation of energy balance involves an intricate interplay between neural mechanisms that respond to internal and external cues of energy demand and food availability. Compelling data have implicated the neurotransmitter dopamine as an important part of body weight regulation. However, the precise mechanisms through which dopamine regulates energy homeostasis remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate mechanisms through which dopamine modulates energy storage. We showed that dopamine signaling regulates fat reservoirs in Caenorhabditis elegans. We found that the fat reducing effects of dopamine were dependent on dopaminergic receptors and a set of fat oxidation enzymes. Our findings reveal an ancient role for dopaminergic regulation of fat and suggest that dopamine signaling elicits this outcome through cascades that ultimately mobilize peripheral fat depots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Guimarães de Almeida Barros
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Jessika Cristina Bridi
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Bruno Rezende de Souza
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Célio de Castro Júnior
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Karen Cecília de Lima Torres
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Leandro Malard
- Departamento de Física, Instituto de Ciências Exatas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ado Jorio
- Departamento de Física, Instituto de Ciências Exatas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Débora Marques de Miranda
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Kaveh Ashrafi
- Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States
| | - Marco Aurélio Romano-Silva
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Pandey P, Mersha MD, Dhillon HS. A synergistic approach towards understanding the functional significance of dopamine receptor interactions. J Mol Signal 2013; 8:13. [PMID: 24308343 PMCID: PMC3878971 DOI: 10.1186/1750-2187-8-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2012] [Accepted: 11/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) in the nervous system is underscored by its role in a wide variety of physiological and neural functions in both vertebrates and invertebrates. Binding of dopamine to its membrane receptors initiates precise signaling cascades that result in specific cellular responses. Dopamine receptors belong to a super-family of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) that are characterized by seven trans-membrane domains. In mammals, five dopamine receptors have been identified which are grouped into two different categories D1- and D2-like receptors. The interactions of DA receptors with other proteins including specific Gα subunits are critical in deciding the fate of downstream molecular events carried out by effector proteins. In this mini-review we provide a synopsis of known protein-protein interactions of DA receptors and a perspective on the potential synergistic utility of Caenorhabditis elegans as a model eukaryote with a comparatively simpler nervous system to gain insight on the neuronal and behavioral consequences of the receptor interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Harbinder S Dhillon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Neuroscience Research, Delaware State University, Dover, DE 19901, USA.
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26
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Bayliss AL, Evans PD. Characterisation of AmphiAmR11, an amphioxus (Branchiostoma floridae) D2-dopamine-like G protein-coupled receptor. PLoS One 2013; 8:e80833. [PMID: 24265838 PMCID: PMC3827198 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0080833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2013] [Accepted: 10/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution of the biogenic amine signalling system in vertebrates is unclear. However, insights can be obtained from studying the structures and signalling properties of biogenic amine receptors from the protochordate, amphioxus, which is an invertebrate species that exists at the base of the chordate lineage. Here we describe the signalling properties of AmphiAmR11, an amphioxus (Branchiostoma floridae) G protein-coupled receptor which has structural similarities to vertebrate α2-adrenergic receptors but which functionally acts as a D2 dopamine-like receptor when expressed in Chinese hamster ovary -K1 cells. AmphiAmR11 inhibits forskolin-stimulated cyclic AMP levels with tyramine, phenylethylamine and dopamine being the most potent agonists. AmphiAmR11 also increases mitogen-activated protein kinase activity and calcium mobilisation, and in both pathways, dopamine was found to be more potent than tyramine. Thus, differences in the relative effectiveness of various agonists in the different second messenger assay systems suggest that the receptor displays agonist-specific coupling (biased agonism) whereby different agonists stabilize different conformations of the receptor which lead to the enhancement of one signalling pathway over another. The present study provides insights into the evolution of α2-adrenergic receptor signalling and support the hypothesis that α2-adrenergic receptors evolved from D2-dopamine receptors. The AmphiAmR11 receptor may represent a transition state between D2-dopamine receptors and α2-adrenergic receptors.
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MESH Headings
- Adenylyl Cyclases/metabolism
- Animals
- CHO Cells
- Calcium/metabolism
- Calcium Signaling/drug effects
- Cricetulus
- Cyclic AMP/metabolism
- Dopamine D2 Receptor Antagonists
- Lancelets/genetics
- Lancelets/metabolism
- Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism
- Pertussis Toxin/pharmacology
- Receptors, Biogenic Amine/agonists
- Receptors, Biogenic Amine/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptors, Biogenic Amine/genetics
- Receptors, Biogenic Amine/metabolism
- Receptors, Dopamine D2/agonists
- Receptors, Dopamine D2/genetics
- Receptors, Dopamine D2/metabolism
- Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled/agonists
- Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled/genetics
- Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled/metabolism
- Signal Transduction/drug effects
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Affiliation(s)
- Asha L. Bayliss
- The Signalling Laboratory, the Babraham Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Peter D. Evans
- The Signalling Laboratory, the Babraham Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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27
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Suo S, Ishiura S. Dopamine modulates acetylcholine release via octopamine and CREB signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS One 2013; 8:e72578. [PMID: 23977320 PMCID: PMC3745381 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0072578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2013] [Accepted: 07/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals change their behavior and metabolism in response to external stimuli. cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) is a signal-activated transcription factor that enables the coupling of extracellular signals and gene expression to induce adaptive changes. Biogenic amine neurotransmitters regulate CREB and such regulation is important for long-term changes in various nervous system functions, including learning and drug addiction. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the amine neurotransmitter octopamine activates a CREB homolog, CRH-1, in cholinergic SIA neurons, whereas dopamine suppresses CREB activation by inhibiting octopamine signaling in response to food stimuli. However, the physiological role of this activation is unknown. In this study, the effect of dopamine, octopamine, and CREB on acetylcholine signaling was analyzed using the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor aldicarb. Mutants with decreased dopamine signaling exhibited reduced acetylcholine signaling, and octopamine and CREB functioned downstream of dopamine in this regulation. This study demonstrates that the regulation of CREB by amine neurotransmitters modulates acetylcholine release from the neurons of C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Suo
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
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28
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Mersha M, Formisano R, McDonald R, Pandey P, Tavernarakis N, Harbinder S. GPA-14, a Gα(i) subunit mediates dopaminergic behavioral plasticity in C. elegans. Behav Brain Funct 2013; 9:16. [PMID: 23607404 PMCID: PMC3679979 DOI: 10.1186/1744-9081-9-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2012] [Accepted: 04/12/2013] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Precise levels of specific neurotransmitters are required for appropriate neuronal functioning. The neurotransmitter dopamine is implicated in modulating behaviors, such as cognition, reward and memory. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the release of dopamine during behavioral plasticity is in part modulated through an acid-sensing ion channel expressed in its eight dopaminergic neurons. A D2-like C. elegans dopamine receptor DOP-2 co-expresses along with a Gα(i) subunit (GPA-14) in the anterior deirid (ADE) pair of dopaminergic neurons. FINDINGS In follow-up experiments to our recently reported in vitro physical interaction between DOP-2 and GPA-14, we have behaviorally characterized worms carrying deletion mutations in gpa-14 and/or dop-2. We found both mutants to display behavioral abnormalities in habituation as well as associative learning, and exogenous supply of dopamine was able to revert the observed behavioral deficits. The behavioral phenotypes of dop-2 and gpa-14 loss-of-function mutants were found to be remarkably similar, and we did not observe any cumulative defects in their double mutants. CONCLUSION Our results provide genetic and phenotypic support to our earlier in vitro results where we had shown that the DOP-2 dopamine receptor and the GPA-14 Gα(i) subunit physically interact with each other. Results from behavioral experiments presented here together with our previous in-vitro work suggests that the DOP-2 functions as a dopamine auto-receptor to modulate two types of learning, anterior touch habituation and chemosensory associative conditioning, through a G-protein complex that comprises GPA-14 as its Gα subunit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahlet Mersha
- Department of Biological Sciences, Delaware State University, Dover, DE 19901, USA
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29
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Correa P, LeBoeuf B, García LR. C. elegans dopaminergic D2-like receptors delimit recurrent cholinergic-mediated motor programs during a goal-oriented behavior. PLoS Genet 2012; 8:e1003015. [PMID: 23166505 PMCID: PMC3499252 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2012] [Accepted: 08/22/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans male copulation requires coordinated temporal-spatial execution of different motor outputs. During mating, a cloacal circuit consisting of cholinergic sensory-motor neurons and sex muscles maintains the male's position and executes copulatory spicule thrusts at his mate's vulva. However, distinct signaling mechanisms that delimit these behaviors to their proper context are unclear. We found that dopamine (DA) signaling directs copulatory spicule insertion attempts to the hermaphrodite vulva by dampening spurious stimulus-independent sex muscle contractions. From pharmacology and genetic analyses, DA antagonizes stimulatory ACh signaling via the D2-like receptors, DOP-2 and DOP-3, and Gα(o/i) proteins, GOA-1 and GPA-7. Calcium imaging and optogenetics suggest that heightened DA-expressing ray neuron activities coincide with the cholinergic cloacal ganglia function during spicule insertion attempts. D2-like receptor signaling also attenuates the excitability of additional mating circuits to reduce the duration of mating attempts with unproductive and/or inappropriate partners. This suggests that, during wild-type mating, simultaneous DA-ACh signaling modulates the activity threshold of repetitive motor programs, thus confining the behavior to the proper situational context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Correa
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Brigitte LeBoeuf
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - L. René García
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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30
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Abstract
Dopamine is an ancient signaling molecule. It is responsible for maintaining the adaptability of behavioral outputs and is found across taxa. The following is a summary of the role of dopamine and the mechanisms of its function and dysfunction. We discuss our recent findings on dopaminergic control of behaviors in C. elegans and discuss its potential implications for work in the fields of C. elegans and Parkinson research.
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31
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Forward genetic analysis to identify determinants of dopamine signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans using swimming-induced paralysis. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2012; 2:961-75. [PMID: 22908044 PMCID: PMC3411251 DOI: 10.1534/g3.112.003533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2012] [Accepted: 06/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Disrupted dopamine (DA) signaling is believed to contribute to the core features of multiple neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Essential features of DA neurotransmission are conserved in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, providing us with an opportunity to implement forward genetic approaches that may reveal novel, in vivo regulators of DA signaling. Previously, we identified a robust phenotype, termed Swimming-induced paralysis (Swip), that emerges in animals deficient in the plasma membrane DA transporter. Here, we report the use and quantitative analysis of Swip in the identification of mutant genes that control DA signaling. Two lines captured in our screen (vt21 and vt22) bear novel dat-1 alleles that disrupt expression and surface trafficking of transporter proteins in vitro and in vivo. Two additional lines, vt25 and vt29, lack transporter mutations but exhibit genetic, biochemical, and behavioral phenotypes consistent with distinct perturbations of DA signaling. Our studies validate the utility of the Swip screen, demonstrate the functional relevance of DA transporter structural elements, and reveal novel genomic loci that encode regulators of DA signaling.
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32
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Pandey P, Harbinder S. The Caenorhabditis elegans D2-like dopamine receptor DOP-2 physically interacts with GPA-14, a Gαi subunit. J Mol Signal 2012; 7:3. [PMID: 22280843 PMCID: PMC3297496 DOI: 10.1186/1750-2187-7-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2011] [Accepted: 01/26/2012] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopaminergic inputs are sensed on the cell surface by the seven-transmembrane dopamine receptors that belong to a superfamily of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Dopamine receptors are classified as D1-like or D2-like receptors based on their homology and pharmacological profiles. In addition to well established G-protein coupled mechanism of dopamine receptors in mammalian system they can also interact with other signaling pathways. In C. elegans four dopamine receptors (dop-1, dop-2, dop-3 and dop-4) have been reported and they have been implicated in a wide array of behavioral and physiological processes. We performed this study to assign the signaling pathway for DOP-2, a D2-like dopamine receptor using a split-ubiquitin based yeast two-hybrid screening of a C. elegans cDNA library with a novel dop-2 variant (DOP-2XL) as bait. Our yeast two-hybrid screening resulted in identification of gpa-14, as one of the positively interacting partners. gpa-14 is a Gα coding sequence and shows expression overlap with dop-2 in C. elegans ADE deirid neurons. In-vitro pull down assays demonstrated physical coupling between dopamine receptor DOP-2XL and GPA-14. Further, we sought to determine the DOP-2 region necessary for GPA-14 coupling. We generated truncated DOP-2XL constructs and performed pair-wise yeast two-hybrid assay with GPA-14 followed by in-vitro interaction studies and here we report that the third intracellular loop is the key domain responsible for DOP-2 and GPA-14 coupling. Our results show that the extra-long C. elegans D2-like receptor is coupled to gpa-14 that has no mammalian homolog but shows close similarity to inhibitory G-proteins. Supplementing earlier investigations, our results demonstrate the importance of an invertebrate D2-like receptor's third intracellular loop in its G-protein interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratima Pandey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Delaware State University, Dover, DE 19901, USA.
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33
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Vickrey TL, Venton BJ. Drosophila Dopamine2-like receptors function as autoreceptors. ACS Chem Neurosci 2011; 2:723-729. [PMID: 22308204 DOI: 10.1021/cn200057k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopaminergic signaling pathways are conserved between mammals and Drosophila and D2 receptors have been identified in Drosophila. However, it has not been demonstrated whether Drosophila D2 receptors function as autoreceptors and regulate the release of dopamine. The goal of this study was to determine if Drosophila D2 receptors act as autoreceptors by probing the extent to which D2 agonists and antagonists affect evoked dopamine release. Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry was used to measure stimulated dopamine release at a carbon-fiber microelectrode implanted in an intact, larval Drosophila nervous system. Dopamine release was evoked using 5-second blue light stimulations that open Channelrhodopsin-2, a blue light activated cation channel that was specifically expressed in dopaminergic neurons. In mammals, administration of a D2 agonist decreases evoked dopamine release by increasing autoreceptor feedback. Similarly, we found that the D2 agonists bromocriptine and quinpirole decreased stimulated dopamine release in Drosophila. D2 antagonists were expected to increase dopamine release and the D2 antagonists flupenthixol, butaclamol, and haloperidol did increase stimulated release. Agonists did not significantly modulate dopamine uptake although the modulatory effects of D2 drugs on release were affected by prior administration of the uptake inhibitor nisoxetine. These results demonstrate that the D2 receptor functions as an autoreceptor in Drosophila. The similarities in dopamine regulation validate Drosophila as a model system for studying the basic neurobiology of dopaminergic signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trisha L. Vickrey
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904,
United States
| | - B. Jill Venton
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904,
United States
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34
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Komuniecki R, Harris G, Hapiak V, Wragg R, Bamber B. Monoamines activate neuropeptide signaling cascades to modulate nociception in C. elegans: a useful model for the modulation of chronic pain? INVERTEBRATE NEUROSCIENCE 2011; 12:53-61. [PMID: 22143253 DOI: 10.1007/s10158-011-0127-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2011] [Accepted: 11/15/2011] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Monoamines and neuropeptides interact to modulate key behaviors in most organisms. This review is focused on the interaction between octopamine (OA) and an array of neuropeptides in the inhibition of a simple, sensory-mediated aversive behavior in the C. elegans model system and describes the role of monoamines in the activation of global peptidergic signaling cascades. OA has been often considered the invertebrate counterpart of norepinephrine, and the review also highlights the similarities between OA inhibition in C. elegans and the noradrenergic modulation of pain in higher organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rick Komuniecki
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toledo, 2801 W. Bancroft Street, Toledo, OH 43606, USA.
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35
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Ezcurra M, Tanizawa Y, Swoboda P, Schafer WR. Food sensitizes C. elegans avoidance behaviours through acute dopamine signalling. EMBO J 2011; 30:1110-22. [PMID: 21304491 DOI: 10.1038/emboj.2011.22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2010] [Accepted: 01/07/2011] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Many behavioural states are modulated by food availability and nutritional status. Here, we report that in Caenorhabditis elegans, the presence of an external food source enhances avoidance responses to soluble repellents sensed by the polymodal ASH neurons. This enhancement requires dopamine signalling and is mimicked by exogenous dopamine. Food modulation is dependent on the mechanosensory cilia of the dopaminergic neurons, indicating that dopamine is released in response to sensation of bacteria. Activation of the dopamine neurons leads within seconds to a transient state of increased sensory acuity. In vivo imaging experiments indicate that this dopamine-dependent sensitization results in part from modality-specific increases in the magnitude and duration of gustatory responses in the ASH neurons. The D1-like dopamine receptor DOP-4 acts cell autonomously in ASH to mediate effects on response magnitude. Thus, dopamine functions as a direct signal of the presence of food to control context-dependent behavioural states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Ezcurra
- Cell Biology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
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36
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Carvelli L, Matthies DS, Galli A. Molecular mechanisms of amphetamine actions in Caenorhabditis elegans. Mol Pharmacol 2010; 78:151-6. [PMID: 20410438 DOI: 10.1124/mol.109.062703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Amphetamine (AMPH) poses a serious hazard to public health. Defining the molecular targets of AMPH is essential to developing treatments for psychostimulant abuse. AMPH elicits its behavioral effects primarily by increasing extracellular dopamine (DA) levels through the reversal of the DA transporter (DAT) cycle and, as a consequence, altering DA signaling. In Caenorhabditis elegans, an excess of synaptic DA results in a loss of motility in water, termed swimming-induced paralysis (SWIP). Here we demonstrate that AMPH produces SWIP in a time- and dose-dependent manner in wild-type (wt) animals but has a reduced ability to generate SWIP in DAT knock out worms (dat-1). To determine whether D1-like and/or D2-like receptors are involved in AMPH-induced SWIP, we performed experiments in DOP-1 and DOP-4, and DOP-2, and DOP-3 receptor knockout animals, respectively. AMPH administration resulted in a reduced ability to induce SWIP in animals lacking DOP-3, DOP-4, and DOP-2 receptors. In contrast, in worms lacking DOP-1 receptors, AMPH-induced SWIP occurred at wt levels. Using microamperometry on C. elegans DA neurons, we determined that in contrast to wt cells, AMPH failed to promote DA efflux in dat-1 DA neurons. These data suggest that DA efflux is critical to sustaining SWIP behavior by signaling through DOP-3, DOP-4, and DOP-2. In a double mutant lacking both DAT-1 and DOP-1 expression, we found no ability of AMPH to induce SWIP or DA efflux. This result supports the paradigm that DA efflux through C. elegans DAT is required for AMPH-induced behaviors and does not require DOP-1 signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Carvelli
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA
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37
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Ezak MJ, Ferkey DM. The C. elegans D2-like dopamine receptor DOP-3 decreases behavioral sensitivity to the olfactory stimulus 1-octanol. PLoS One 2010; 5:e9487. [PMID: 20209143 PMCID: PMC2830454 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0009487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2009] [Accepted: 02/10/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously found that dopamine signaling modulates the sensitivity of wild-type C. elegans to the aversive odorant 1-octanol. C. elegans lacking the CAT-2 tyrosine hydroxylase enzyme, which is required for dopamine biosynthesis, are hypersensitive in their behavioral avoidance of dilute concentrations of octanol. Dopamine can also modulate the context-dependent response of C. elegans lacking RGS-3 function, a negative regulator of G alpha signaling. rgs-3 mutant animals are defective in their avoidance of 100% octanol when they are assayed in the absence of food (E. coli bacterial lawn), but their response is restored when they are assayed in the presence of food or exogenous dopamine. However, it is not known which receptor might be mediating dopamine's effects on octanol avoidance. Herein we describe a role for the C. elegans D2-like receptor DOP-3 in the regulation of olfactory sensitivity. We show that DOP-3 is required for the ability of food and exogenous dopamine to rescue the octanol avoidance defect of rgs-3 mutant animals. In addition, otherwise wild-type animals lacking DOP-3 function are hypersensitive to dilute octanol, reminiscent of cat-2 mutants. Furthermore, we demonstrate that DOP-3 function in the ASH sensory neurons is sufficient to rescue the hypersensitivity of dop-3 mutant animals, while dop-3 RNAi knockdown in ASH results in octanol hypersensitivity. Taken together, our data suggest that dopaminergic signaling through DOP-3 normally acts to dampen ASH signaling and behavioral sensitivity to octanol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith J. Ezak
- Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Denise M. Ferkey
- Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
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38
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Taft AS, Norante FA, Yoshino TP. The identification of inhibitors of Schistosoma mansoni miracidial transformation by incorporating a medium-throughput small-molecule screen. Exp Parasitol 2010; 125:84-94. [PMID: 20060828 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2009.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2009] [Revised: 12/21/2009] [Accepted: 12/30/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
In Schistosoma mansoni, the miracidium-to-primary sporocyst transformation process is associated with many physiological, morphological, transcriptional and biochemical changes. In the present study, we use a medium-throughput small-molecule screen to identify chemical compounds inhibiting or delaying the in vitro transformation of miracidia to the sporocyst stage. The Sigma-Aldrich Library of Pharmacologically Active Compounds (LOPAC) contains 1280 well-characterized chemical compounds with various modes of action including enzyme inhibitors, antibiotics, cell-cycle regulators, apoptosis inducers and GPCR ligands. We identified 47 compounds that greatly reduce or delay this transformation process during a primary screen of live miracidia. The majority of compounds inhibiting larval transformation were from dopaminergic, serotonergic, ion channel and phosphorylation classes. Specifically, we found that dopamine D2-type antagonists, serotonin reuptake inhibitors, voltage-gated calcium channel antagonists and a PKC activator significantly reduced in vitro miracidial transformation rates. Many of the targets of these compounds regulate adenylyl cyclase activity, with the inhibition or activation of these targets resulting in increased cAMP levels in miracidia and concomitant blocking/delaying of larval transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S Taft
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
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39
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Suo S, Culotti JG, Van Tol HHM. Dopamine suppresses octopamine signaling in C. elegans: possible involvement of dopamine in the regulation of lifespan. Aging (Albany NY) 2009; 1:870-4. [PMID: 20157560 PMCID: PMC2815730 DOI: 10.18632/aging.100097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2009] [Accepted: 10/19/2009] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Amine neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline, play important roles in the modulation of behaviors and metabolism of animals. InC. elegans, it has been shown that serotonin and octopamine, an invertebrate equivalent of noradrenaline, also regulate lifespan through a mechanism related to food deprivation-mediated lifespan extension. We have shown recently that dopamine signaling, activated by the tactile perception of food, suppresses octopamine signaling and that the cessation of dopamine signaling in the absence of food leads to activation of octopamine signaling. Here, we discuss the apparent conservation of neural and molecular mechanisms for dopamine regulation of octopamine/noradrenaline signaling and a possible role for dopamine in lifespan regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Suo
- Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 1X5.
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40
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Dopamine counteracts octopamine signalling in a neural circuit mediating food response in C. elegans. EMBO J 2009; 28:2437-48. [PMID: 19609300 DOI: 10.1038/emboj.2009.194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2009] [Accepted: 06/17/2009] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals assess food availability in their environment by sensory perception and respond to the absence of food by changing hormone and neurotransmitter signals. However, it is largely unknown how the absence of food is perceived at the level of functional neurocircuitry. In Caenorhabditis elegans, octopamine is released from the RIC neurons in the absence of food and activates the cyclic AMP response element binding protein in the cholinergic SIA neurons. In contrast, dopamine is released from dopaminergic neurons only in the presence of food. Here, we show that dopamine suppresses octopamine signalling through two D2-like dopamine receptors and the G protein Gi/o. The D2-like receptors work in both the octopaminergic neurons and the octopamine-responding SIA neurons, suggesting that dopamine suppresses octopamine release as well as octopamine-mediated downstream signalling. Our results show that C. elegans detects the absence of food by using a small neural circuit composed of three neuron types in which octopaminergic signalling is activated by the cessation of dopamine signalling.
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41
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Stimulation of movement in a quiescent, hibernation-like form of Caenorhabditis elegans by dopamine signaling. J Neurosci 2009; 29:7302-14. [PMID: 19494152 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3429-08.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the characteristics of animals in hibernation is reduced behavioral activity. The Caenorhabditis elegans dauer state is a hibernation-like state of diapause that displays a dramatic reduction in spontaneous locomotion. A similar dauer-like quiescent state is produced in adults by relatively strong mutations in the insulin/IGF-1 receptor homolog daf-2. In this study, we show that mutations affecting the neurotransmitter dopamine, which regulates voluntary movement in many organisms, can stimulate movement in dauers and dauer-like quiescent adults. Surprisingly, the movement of quiescent animals is stimulated by conditions that reduce dopamine signaling and also by conditions predicted to increase dopamine signaling. Reducing dopamine signaling is likely to stimulate movement by activating a foraging response also seen in nondauers after withdrawal of food. In contrast, the stimulation of movement by increased dopamine is much more pronounced in quiescent daf-2(-) dauer and dauer-like adult animals than in nondauaer animals. This altered response to dopamine is primarily attributable to activity of the FOXO (forkhead box O) transcription factor DAF-16 in neurons. We suggest that dauers and dauer-like quiescent adults may have underlying changes in the dopamine system that enable them to respond differently to environmental stimulation.
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42
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Taman A, Ribeiro P. Investigation of a dopamine receptor in Schistosoma mansoni: functional studies and immunolocalization. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2009; 168:24-33. [PMID: 19545592 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2009.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2009] [Revised: 06/05/2009] [Accepted: 06/11/2009] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
A dopamine receptor (SmD2) was cloned from adult Schistosoma mansoni. The receptor has the classical heptahelical topology of class A (rhodopsin-like) G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) and shares sequence homology with D2-like receptors from other species. The full length SmD2 cDNA was expressed in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and mammalian HEK293 cells. Functional assays in both expression systems revealed that SmD2 was responsive to dopamine in a dose-dependent manner, whereas other structurally related amines had no effect. Activation of SmD2 in mammalian cells caused an elevation in intracellular cAMP but not calcium, suggesting that the receptor coupled to Gs and the stimulation of adenylate cyclase. Pharmacological studies showed that the S. mansoni dopamine receptor was inhibited by apomorphine, a classical dopamine agonist, as well as known dopaminergic antagonists, including chlorpromazine, spiperone and haloperidol. SmD2 immunoreactivity was detected in membrane protein fractions of S. mansoni cercaria, in vitro transformed schistosomula and adult parasites, using a specific peptide antibody. When tested by confocal immunofluorescence, SmD2 was detected in the subtegumental somatic musculature and acetabulum of all larval stages tested. In the adults, SmD2 was enriched in the somatic muscles and, to a lesser extent, the muscular lining of the caecum. The results suggest that SmD2 is an important component of the neuromuscular system in schistosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amira Taman
- Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, Macdonald Campus, 21,111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
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43
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Anyanful A, Easley KA, Benian GM, Kalman D. Conditioning protects C. elegans from lethal effects of enteropathogenic E. coli by activating genes that regulate lifespan and innate immunity. Cell Host Microbe 2009; 5:450-62. [PMID: 19454349 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2009.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2008] [Revised: 12/18/2008] [Accepted: 04/06/2009] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans exhibits avoidance behavior when presented with diverse bacterial pathogens. We hypothesized that exposure to pathogens might not only cause worms to move away but also simultaneously activate pathways that promote resistance to the pathogen. We show that brief exposure to virulent or avirulent strains of the bacterial pathogen enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) "immunizes"C. elegans to survive a subsequent exposure that would otherwise prove lethal, a phenomenon we refer to as "conditioning." Conditioning requires dopaminergic neurons; the p38 MAP kinase pathway, which regulates innate immunity; and the insulin/IGFR pathway, which regulates lifespan. Our findings suggest that the molecular pathways that control innate immunity and lifespan may be regulated or "conditioned" by exposure to pathogens to allow survival in noxious environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akwasi Anyanful
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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44
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Hukema RK, Rademakers S, Jansen G. Gustatory plasticity in C. elegans involves integration of negative cues and NaCl taste mediated by serotonin, dopamine, and glutamate. Learn Mem 2008; 15:829-36. [PMID: 18984564 DOI: 10.1101/lm.994408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
While naïve Caenorhabditis elegans individuals are attracted to 0.1-200 mM NaCl, they become strongly repelled by these NaCl concentrations after prolonged exposure to 100 mM NaCl. We call this behavior gustatory plasticity. Here, we show that C. elegans displays avoidance of low NaCl concentrations only when pre-exposure to NaCl is combined with a negative stimulus, e.g., a repellent, or in the absence of food. By testing serotonin and/or dopamine signaling mutants and rescue by exogenously supplying these neurotransmitters, we found that serotonin and dopamine play a role during the plasticity response, while serotonin is also required during development. In addition, we also show that glutamate plays an important role in the response to NaCl, both in chemoattraction to NaCl and in gustatory plasticity. Thus, C. elegans can associate NaCl with negative stimuli using dopaminergic, serotonergic, and glutamatergic neurotransmission. Finally, we show that prolonged starvation enhances gustatory plasticity and can induce avoidance of NaCl in most gustatory plasticity mutants tested. Only mutation of the glutamate-gated Cl(-) channel gene avr-15 affected starvation-enhanced gustatory plasticity. These results suggest that starvation induces avoidance of NaCl largely independent of the normal gustatory plasticity mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renate K Hukema
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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45
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Marvanova M, Nichols CD. Identification of neuroprotective compounds of caenorhabditis elegans dopaminergic neurons against 6-OHDA. J Mol Neurosci 2008; 31:127-37. [PMID: 17478886 DOI: 10.1385/jmn/31:02:127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2006] [Revised: 11/30/1999] [Accepted: 08/26/2006] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a severe debilitating disorder, characterized by progressive and selective dopaminergic (DAergic) neuron degeneration within the substantia nigra pars compacta. Although current pharmacological treatments are effective in early stages of the disease, with time, most patients fail to respond to medications and develop serious motor complications. Therefore, devising novel and efficacious therapeutics that address not only the symptoms of PD, but also the cause, are of great importance. Unfortunately, many obstacles are associated with current PD research in mammalian-based systems, which limit the rate of progress. One solution is to investigate mechanisms of PD in model genetic organisms like Caenorhabditis elegans. In general, striking and profound similarities underlie the basic cellular and molecular processes between the worm and humans. The use of C. elegans over traditional mammalian-based systems holds the promise of an enhanced rate of discovery with lower associated costs. Here, we have utilized C. elegans to screen a variety of compounds, including specific dopamine (DA), GABA, and NMDA receptor agonists, as well as antagonists to identify those that protect against 6-OHDA-induced DAergic toxicity. Two DA D2 receptor agonists, bromocriptine and quinpirole, were found to protect against 6-OHDA toxicity in a dose-dependent manner. Surprisingly, these protective effects appear to involve receptor-independent mechanisms. Given the high degree of conservation of cellular processes between the worm and mammalian systems, these results are likely relevant and important toward understanding potentially novel mechanisms leading to DAergic neuroprotection in mammalian systems and, ultimately, new therapeutics for PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marketa Marvanova
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, USA
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46
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Wragg RT, Hapiak V, Miller SB, Harris GP, Gray J, Komuniecki PR, Komuniecki RW. Tyramine and octopamine independently inhibit serotonin-stimulated aversive behaviors in Caenorhabditis elegans through two novel amine receptors. J Neurosci 2007; 27:13402-12. [PMID: 18057198 PMCID: PMC6673087 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3495-07.2007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2007] [Revised: 10/16/2007] [Accepted: 10/16/2007] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Biogenic amines modulate key behaviors in both vertebrates and invertebrates. In Caenorhabditis elegans, tyramine (TA) and octopamine (OA) inhibit aversive responses to 100%, but not dilute (30%) octanol. TA and OA also abolish food- and serotonin-dependent increases in responses to dilute octanol in wild-type but not tyra-3(ok325) and f14d12.6(ok371) null animals, respectively, suggesting that TA and OA modulated responses to dilute octanol are mediated by separate, previously uncharacterized, G-protein-coupled receptors. TA and OA are high-affinity ligands for TYRA-3 and F14D12.6, respectively, based on their pharmacological characterization after heterologous expression. f14d12.6::gfp is expressed in the ASHs, the neurons responsible for sensitivity to dilute octanol, and the sra-6-dependent expression of F14D12.6 in the ASHs is sufficient to rescue OA sensitivity in f14d12.6(ok371) null animals. In contrast, tyra-3::gfp appears not to be expressed in the ASHs, but instead in other neurons, including the dopaminergic CEP/ADEs. However, although dopamine (DA) also inhibits 5-HT-dependent responses to dilute octanol, TA still inhibits in dop-2; dop-1; dop-3 animals that do not respond to DA and cat-2(tm346) and Pdat-1::ICE animals that lack significant dopaminergic signaling, suggesting that DA is not an intermediate in TA inhibition. Finally, responses to TA and OA selectively desensitize after preexposure to the amines. Our data suggest that although tyraminergic and octopaminergic signaling yield identical phenotypes in these olfactory assays, they act independently through distinct receptors to modulate the ASH-mediated locomotory circuit and that C. elegans is a useful model to study the aminergic modulation of sensory-mediated locomotory behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel T. Wragg
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606-3340
| | - Vera Hapiak
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606-3340
| | - Sarah B. Miller
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606-3340
| | - Gareth P. Harris
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606-3340
| | - John Gray
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606-3340
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47
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Masler EP. Responses of Heterodera glycines and Meloidogyne incognita to exogenously applied neuromodulators. J Helminthol 2007; 81:421-7. [PMID: 18005465 DOI: 10.1017/s0022149x07850243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Biogenic amines regulate important behaviours in nematodes and are associated with pharyngeal activity in plant-parasitic nematodes. A robust behavioural assay based upon nematode body movements was developed to expand the study of these and other neuroregulators in plant-parasitic nematodes. Dopamine, octopamine and serotonin each had significant but differing effects on the behaviour of soybean cyst nematode Heterodera glycines and root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita juveniles. Body movement frequency was increased twofold in H. glycines by 5 mM dopamine (P = 0.0001), but decreased by 50 mM dopamine in H. glycines (88%) and M. incognita (53%) (P < 0.0001). Movement frequency in both species was increased by 50-70% (P < 0.0001) by 50 mM octopamine, and 5 mM octopamine increased M. incognita movement frequency more than twofold (P < 0.0001). Movement frequency in each species was reduced by more than 90% by 5 mM serotonin (P < 0.0001). While amplitude of body movement in H. glycines was unaffected by any amine, it was significantly reduced in M. incognita by all amines (P < 0.0006). Stylet pulsing frequencies in either species were unaffected by dopamine or octopamine, but 5 mM serotonin stimulated pulsing in H. glycines by nearly 13-fold (P < 0.0001) and in M. incognita by more than 14-fold (P < 0.0001). The invertebrate neuropeptide FLRFamide (N-Phe-Leu-Arg-Phe) increased M. incognita body movement frequency 45% (P = 0.02) at 1 mM but did not affect stylet activity. Finally, H. glycines egg hatch was completely suppressed by 50 mM serotonin, and partially suppressed by 50 mM dopamine (75%; P < 0.0001) and 50 mM octopamine (55%; P < 0.0001).
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Affiliation(s)
- E P Masler
- Nematology Laboratory, US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville MD 20705, USA.
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48
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Schmidt E, Seifert M, Baumeister R. Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system for Parkinson's disease. NEURODEGENER DIS 2007; 4:199-217. [PMID: 17596715 DOI: 10.1159/000101845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common age-related neurodegenerative diseases that is characterized by selective loss of dopaminergic neurons. Despite recent findings from mammalian model systems, molecular mechanisms of the pathophysiology are poorly understood. Given the high conservation of molecular pathways from invertebrates to mammalians, combined with technical advantages, such as high-throughput approaches, Caenorhabditis elegans represents a powerful system for the identification of factors involved in neurodegeneration. In this review we describe that C. elegans can be used to advance our understanding of the genetic mechanisms implicated in these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Schmidt
- Bioinformatics and Molecular Genetics (Faculty of Biology), Center for Biochemistry, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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49
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Kindt KS, Quast KB, Giles AC, De S, Hendrey D, Nicastro I, Rankin CH, Schafer WR. Dopamine Mediates Context-Dependent Modulation of Sensory Plasticity in C. elegans. Neuron 2007; 55:662-76. [PMID: 17698017 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2007.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2006] [Revised: 05/22/2007] [Accepted: 07/16/2007] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine has been implicated in the modulation of diverse forms of behavioral plasticity, including appetitive learning and addiction. An important challenge is to understand how dopamine's effects at the cellular level alter the properties of neural circuits to modify behavior. In the nematode C. elegans, dopamine modulates habituation of an escape reflex triggered by body touch. In the absence of food, animals habituate more rapidly than in the presence of food; this contextual information about food availability is provided by dopaminergic mechanosensory neurons that sense the presence of bacteria. We find that dopamine alters habituation kinetics by selectively modulating the touch responses of the anterior-body mechanoreceptors; this modulation involves a D1-like dopamine receptor, a Gq/PLC-beta signaling pathway, and calcium release within the touch neurons. Interestingly, the body touch mechanoreceptors can themselves excite the dopamine neurons, forming a positive feedback loop capable of integrating context and experience to modulate mechanosensory attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie S Kindt
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla CA 92093, USA
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50
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Suga H, Haga T. Ligand screening system using fusion proteins of G protein-coupled receptors with G protein alpha subunits. Neurochem Int 2007; 51:140-64. [PMID: 17659814 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2007.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2007] [Revised: 06/07/2007] [Accepted: 06/08/2007] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) constitute one of the largest families of genes in the human genome, and are the largest targets for drug development. Although a large number of GPCR genes have recently been identified, ligands have not yet been identified for many of them. Various assay systems have been employed to identify ligands for orphan GPCRs, but there is still no simple and general method to screen for ligands of such GPCRs, particularly of G(i)-coupled receptors. We have examined whether fusion proteins of GPCRs with G protein alpha subunit (Galpha) could be utilized for ligand screening and showed that the fusion proteins provide an effective method for the purpose. This article focuses on the followings: (1) characterization of GPCR genes and GPCRs, (2) identification of ligands for orphan GPCRs, (3) characterization of GPCR-Galpha fusion proteins, and (4) identification of ligands for orphan GPCRs using GPCR-Galpha fusion proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hinako Suga
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
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