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Identifier uch.biology.msc//2003vogglis
Title Λειτουργικός χαρακτηρισμός γονιδίων της οικογένειας των DEG/ENaCs, στον οργανισμό Caenorhabditis elegans
Creator Vogglis, Giannis
Abstract The family of nematode DEG/ENaC (degenerin/epithelial Na+ channel) proteins comprises 30 members, 7 of which have been studied genetically. Previously characterized degenerins have been implicated in a variety of functions such as mechanosensation, proprioception and regulation of ultradian rhythms. Neuronally expressed members of the family can mutate to induce late-onset degenerative cell death, featuring landmarks of excitotoxic neuron demise, which follows stroke, in mammals. Despite the importance of these channels in signal transduction, little is understood about their gating mechanisms and regulation. Moreover, the function of the additional 23 DEG/ENaC proteins encoded in the C. elegans genome remains a mystery. We embarked on a systematic study of these previously uncharacterized family members, in an effort to elucidate their role in animal physiology. This line of investigation revealed that DEG/ENaC genes show only limited overlap in their spatiotemporal expression patterns, and function in a variety of cell types ranging from neurons to muscles and epithelia. Using RNAi, we found that DEG/ENaC proteins are required for the normal manifestation of diverse animal behaviours such as the nose touch responses, chemosensation, egg-laying, mating, excretory canal function, feeding and defecation. In a complementary approach, we are analyzing putative null alleles, obtained by screening deletion libraries. Remarkably, specific degenerins, which are highly expressed in head sensory neurons and interneurons, are required for conditioning to several chemical attractants, while they are dispensable for chemotaxis. Consistently, preliminary results implicate these degenerins in the process of associating the presence of food with the rearing temperature. Such observations indicate that degenerins contribute to the capacity of the animal for associative learning. This is an exciting working hypothesis in light of similar findings in mice, supporting the involvement of the related in sequence, acid-sensing ion channel (ASIC) in synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory (Wemmie J.A. et al., Neuron, 34: 463-77). Hence, DEG/ENaC roles in associative learning and memory might be conserved from nematodes to mammals, thus, rendering C. elegans an attractive model in which to dissect the relevant mechanisms.
Issue date 2003-11-01
Date available 2003-12-12
Collection   School/Department--School of Sciences and Engineering--Department of Biology--Post-graduate theses
  Type of Work--Post-graduate theses
Permanent Link https://elocus.lib.uoc.gr//dlib/2/9/d/metadata-dlib-2003vogglis.tkl Bookmark and Share
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