Open AccessTemperature regulates synaptic subcellular specificity mediated by inhibitory glutamate signaling
Author(s) -
Mengqing Wang,
Daniel Witvliet,
Mengting Wu,
Lijun Kang,
Zhiyong Shao
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
plos genetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.587
H-Index - 233
eISSN - 1553-7404
pISSN - 1553-7390
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009295
Subject(s) - neurotransmission , biology , glutamate receptor , glutamatergic , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , subcellular localization , caenorhabditis elegans , neuroscience , synaptic vesicle , neurotransmitter , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , central nervous system , receptor , vesicle , membrane , cytoplasm , gene
Environmental factors such as temperature affect neuronal activity and development. However, it remains unknown whether and how they affect synaptic subcellular specificity. Here, using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans AIY interneurons as a model, we found that high cultivation temperature robustly induces defects in synaptic subcellular specificity through glutamatergic neurotransmission. Furthermore, we determined that the functional glutamate is mainly released by the ASH sensory neurons and sensed by two conserved inhibitory glutamate-gated chloride channels GLC-3 and GLC-4 in AIY. Our work not only presents a novel neurotransmission-dependent mechanism underlying the synaptic subcellular specificity, but also provides a potential mechanistic insight into high-temperature-induced neurological defects.