PMID: 9159174May 27, 1997Paper

Identification of chemical synapses in the pharynx of Caenorhabditis elegans

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
H LiG P Hess

Abstract

The rhythmic contraction of the Caenorhabditis elegans pharynx is unique in that the network of 12 neurons, including two M3 neurons, that regulate the contraction is known. The neurotransmitters secreted by these cells, and the target cells responding to these chemical signals, are not known. Here, we describe an approach to obtain this missing information and use the M3 cells as an example. Electrical recordings (electropharyngeograms) were used in conjunction with temporally and spatially defined application of neurotransmitters via photolysis of inactive, photolabile precursors. To illustrate the technique we used pharyngeal preparations in which the two M3 neurons are intact and preparations in which they were removed by laser irradiation. Removal of M3 neurons results in the loss of the small negative peaks in the electropharyngeograms and an increase in time during which the pharynx remains contracted. We demonstrate that the application of glutamate by photolysis of caged glutamate to a pharynx from which the two M3 neurons were removed produces effects similar to those observed before removal of the M3 neurons. In control experiments, photolytic release from photolabile precursors of carbamoylcholine, a stable and well...Continue Reading

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Citations

Apr 20, 2006·Invertebrate Neuroscience : in·Irina VinogradovaLindy Holden-Dye
Dec 2, 2010·Invertebrate Neuroscience : in·Sarah LuedtkeRobert J Walker
Aug 3, 2002·Nature Reviews. Genetics·Catharine H Rankin
Sep 28, 2005·Journal of Neurobiology·Sylvana PapaioannouLindy Holden-Dye
Dec 2, 2000·FASEB Journal : Official Publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology·J B RandD L Frisby
Oct 28, 2020·Disease Models & Mechanisms·Kim A CaldwellGuy A Caldwell
Dec 13, 2002·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Timothy Niacaris, Leon Avery
Aug 28, 2021·Cells·Nelly RedolfiDiana Pendin
Dec 16, 1998·Science·C I Bargmann
Oct 3, 2014·Cold Spring Harbor Protocols·George P HessYongli Chen

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