We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
FLR-2, the glycoprotein hormone alpha subunit, is involved in the neural control of intestinal functions in Caenorhabditis elegans.
- Authors
Oishi, Akane; Gengyo-Ando, Keiko; Mitani, Shohei; Mohri-Shiomi, Akiko; Kimura, Koutarou D; Ishihara, Takeshi; Katsura, Isao
- Abstract
The intestine plays an essential role in organism-wide regulatory networks in both vertebrates and invertebrates. In Caenorhabditis elegans, class 1 flr genes ( flr-1, flr-3 and flr-4) act in the intestine and control growth rates and defecation cycle periods, while class 2 flr genes ( flr-2, flr-5, flr-6 and flr-7) are characterized by mutations that suppress the slow growth of class 1 flr mutants. This study revealed that flr-2 gene controls antibacterial defense and intestinal color, confirming that flr-2 regulates intestinal functions. flr-2 encoded the only glycoprotein hormone alpha subunit in C. elegans and was expressed in certain neurons. Furthermore, FLR-2 bound to another secretory protein GHI-1, which belongs to a family of lipid- and lipopolysaccharide-binding proteins. A ghi-1 deletion mutation partially suppressed the short defecation cycle periods of class 1 flr mutants, and this effect was enhanced by flr-2 mutations. Thus, FLR-2 acts as a signaling molecule for the neural control of intestinal functions, which is achieved in a functional network involving class 1 and class 2 flr genes as well as ghi-1. These results are informative to studies of glycoprotein hormone signaling in higher animals.
- Subjects
GLYCOPROTEIN hormones; GLYCOPROTEINS; CAENORHABDITIS elegans; GENETIC mutation; CARRIER proteins; NEURONS
- Publication
Genes to Cells, 2009, Vol 14, Issue 10, p1141
- ISSN
1356-9597
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1365-2443.2009.01341.x