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Modulation of dopamine‐dependent behaviors by the Caenorhabditis elegans Olig homolog HLH‐17
Author(s) -
Felton Chaquettea M.,
Johnson Casonya M.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of neuroscience research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.72
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1097-4547
pISSN - 0360-4012
DOI - 10.1002/jnr.22694
Subject(s) - dopamine , dopaminergic , caenorhabditis elegans , biology , transcription factor , dopamine receptor , microbiology and biotechnology , heterotrimeric g protein , signal transduction , neuroscience , g protein , gene , genetics
In vertebrates and invertebrates, dopamine signaling modulates a wide variety of physical and behavioral functions and exerts these effects through heterotrimeric G proteins. The soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been used to model dopamine signaling and reacts reproducibly to alterations in dopamine levels through eight well‐characterized dopaminergic neurons located in the head. In C. elegans , the basic helix–loop–helix transcription factor HLH‐17 is strongly and constitutively expressed in the glia cells that ensheath four of the dopaminergic neurons, yet it is not required for specification or development of either the glia or the neurons. In this study, we sought to determine whether HLH‐17 functions in dopamine signaling. We found that, unlike wild‐type animals, hlh‐17 animals are resistant to the effects of exogenous dopamine on egg laying and mobility. hlh‐17 animals are also defective in the basal slowing and gustatory plasticity behaviors that require functional dopamine signaling. We also found that the expression of the dopamine receptor genes dop‐1 , dop‐2 , and dop‐3 and the RGS protein gene egl‐10 is significantly reduced in hlh‐17 animals. Together these results point to a role for HLH‐17 in dopamine signaling in C. elegans . © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.