We found a match
Your institution may have rights to this item. Sign in to continue.
- Title
Genetic dissection of ion currents underlying all-or-none action potentials in C. elegans body-wall muscle cells.
- Authors
Liu, Ping; Ge, Qian; Chen, Bojun; Salkoff, Lawrence; Kotlikoff, Michael I.; Wang, Zhao-Wen
- Abstract
Mammalian skeletal muscle contractions are initiated by all-or-none action potentials (APs) triggered by motoneurons. In C. elegans locomotory muscle, however, the characteristics of APs, the underlying ion channels, and their role in Ca release are poorly understood. Here we show that C. elegans locomotory muscle fires spontaneous, all-or-none APs, which appear to be modulated by motoneuron activity. The upstroke of muscle APs requires Ca entry through a voltage-gated Ca channel (EGL-19), whereas the downstroke of the APs relies on a voltage-gated potassium channel as well as a Ca- and Cl-activated potassium channel. AP-elicited elevations of intracellular Ca concentration require both EGL-19 in the plasma membrane and the ryanodine receptor in the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane. The discovery of all-or-none action potentials in C. elegans body-wall muscle brings the physiology of C. elegans much closer to that of other metazoans, and strengthens its utility as a model organism.
- Publication
Journal of Physiology, 2011, Vol 589, Issue 1, p101
- ISSN
0022-3751
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1113/jphysiol.2010.200683