Open AccessDopamine Modulates Acetylcholine Release via Octopamine and CREB Signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans
Author(s) -
Satoshi Suo,
Shoichi Ishiura
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0072578
Subject(s) - creb , octopamine (neurotransmitter) , acetylcholine , dopamine , cyclic amp response element binding protein , biology , neurotransmitter , microbiology and biotechnology , autoreceptor , signal transduction , caenorhabditis elegans , chemistry , neuroscience , endocrinology , transcription factor , biochemistry , central nervous system , serotonin , receptor , gene
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 .