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G alphas-induced neurodegeneration in Caenorhabditis elegans.

ABSTRACT: We describe a genetic model for neurodegeneration in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Constitutive activation of the GTP-binding protein Galphas induces neurodegeneration. Neuron loss occurs in two phases whereby affected cells undergo a swelling response in young larvae and subsequently die sometime during larval development. Different neural cell types vary greatly in their susceptibility to Galphas-induced cytotoxicity, ranging from 0 to 88% of cells affected. Mutations that prevent programmed cell death do not prevent Galphas-induced killing, suggesting that these deaths do not occur by apoptosis. Mutations in three genes protect against Galphas-induced cell deaths. The acy-1 gene is absolutely required for neurodegeneration, and the predicted ACY-1 protein is highly similar (40% identical) to mammalian adenylyl cyclases. Thus, Gs-induced neurodegeneration is mediated by the second messenger cAMP. Mutations in the unc-36 and eat-4 genes are partially neuroprotective, which indicates that endogenous signaling modulates the severity of the neurotoxic effects of Galphas. These experiments define an intracellular signaling cascade that triggers a necrotic form of neurodegeneration.

SUBMITTER: Berger AJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6792578 | biostudies-literature | 1998 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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G alphas-induced neurodegeneration in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Berger A J AJ Hart A C AC Kaplan J M JM

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience 19980401 8

We describe a genetic model for neurodegeneration in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Constitutive activation of the GTP-binding protein Galphas induces neurodegeneration. Neuron loss occurs in two phases whereby affected cells undergo a swelling response in young larvae and subsequently die sometime during larval development. Different neural cell types vary greatly in their susceptibility to Galphas-induced cytotoxicity, ranging from 0 to 88% of cells affected. Mutations that prevent progr ...[more]

PMID: 9526004

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Project description:Engineered nanoparticles are becoming increasingly incorporated into technology and consumer products. In 2014, over 300 tons of copper oxide nanoparticles were manufactured in the United States. The increased production of nanoparticles raises concerns regarding the potential introduction into the environment or human exposure. Copper oxide nanoparticles commonly release copper ions into solutions, which contribute to their toxicity. We quantified the inhibitory effects of both copper oxide nanoparticles and copper sulfate on C. elegans toxicological endpoints to elucidate their biological effects. Several toxicological endpoints were analyzed in C. elegans, including nematode reproduction, feeding behavior, and average body length. We examined three wild C. elegans isolates together with the Bristol N2 laboratory strain to explore the influence of different genotypic backgrounds on the physiological response to copper challenge. All strains exhibited greater sensitivity to copper oxide nanoparticles compared to copper sulfate, as indicated by reduction of average body length and feeding behavior. Reproduction was significantly reduced only at the highest copper dose, though still more pronounced with copper oxide nanoparticles compared to copper sulfate treatment. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of copper oxide nanoparticles and copper sulfate on neurons, cells with known vulnerability to heavy metal toxicity. Degeneration of dopaminergic neurons was observed in up to 10% of the population after copper oxide nanoparticle exposure. Additionally, mutants in the divalent-metal transporters, smf-1 or smf-2, showed increased tolerance to copper exposure, implicating both transporters in copper-induced neurodegeneration. These results highlight the complex nature of CuO nanoparticle toxicity, in which a nanoparticle-specific effect was observed in some traits (average body length, feeding behavior) and a copper ion specific effect was observed for other traits (neurodegeneration, response to stress).

Dataset Information

G alphas-induced neurodegeneration in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Publications

G alphas-induced neurodegeneration in Caenorhabditis elegans.

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