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Full-Text Articles in Genetics and Genomics
Novel Strategies For Glutamate Clearance In The Glia-Deprived Synaptic Hub Of C. Elegans, Joyce Chan
Novel Strategies For Glutamate Clearance In The Glia-Deprived Synaptic Hub Of C. Elegans, Joyce Chan
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
As the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian brain, Glutamate (Glu) is critical for normal neuronal physiology. Disruption in Glu clearance results in hyper-stimulation of glutamatergic circuits, potentially leading to excitotoxic neurodegeneration. The canonical model of brain connectivity describes glutamatergic synapses as well insulated and enveloped by glia. These glia express Glu Transporters (GluTs) which work to clear Glu following synaptic activity. However, critical areas of the brain such as the mammalian hippocampus display poor synaptic isolation, which may result in Glu spillover between adjacent synapses and subsequent loss of circuit specificity. How accurate signal transmission is achieved in these …
Glutamylation Regulates Transport, Specializes Function, And Sculpts The Structure Of Cilia, Robert O'Hagan, Malan Silva, Ken Cq Nguyen, Winnie Zhang, Sebastian Bellotti, Yasmin Ramadan, David Hall, Maureen M. Barr
Glutamylation Regulates Transport, Specializes Function, And Sculpts The Structure Of Cilia, Robert O'Hagan, Malan Silva, Ken Cq Nguyen, Winnie Zhang, Sebastian Bellotti, Yasmin Ramadan, David Hall, Maureen M. Barr
Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works
Ciliary microtubules (MTs) are extensively decorated with post-translational modifications (PTMs), such as glutamylation of tubulin tails. PTMs and tubulin isotype diversity act as a “Tubulin Code” that regulates cytoskeletal stability and the activity of MT-associated proteins such as kinesins. We previously showed that, in C. elegans cilia, the deglutamylase CCPP-1 affects ciliary ultrastructure, localization of the TRP channel PKD-2 and the kinesin-3 KLP-6, and velocity of kinesin-2 OSM-3/KIF17, while a cell-specific α-tubulin isotype regulates ciliary ultrastructure, intraflagellar transport, and ciliary functions of extracellular vesicle (EV)-releasing neurons. Here, we examine the role of PTMs and the Tubulin Code in the cililary …
Activation Of Target Gene Expression In Neurons By The C. Elegans Rfx Transcription Factor, Daf-19, Katherine P. Mueller
Activation Of Target Gene Expression In Neurons By The C. Elegans Rfx Transcription Factor, Daf-19, Katherine P. Mueller
Lawrence University Honors Projects
DAF-19, the only RFX transcription factor found in C. elegans, is required for the formation of neuronal sensory cilia. Four isoforms of the DAF-19 protein have been reported, and the m86 nonsense (null) mutation affecting all four isoforms has been shown to prevent cilia formation. Transcriptome analyses employing microarrays of L1 and adult stage worms were completed using RNA from daf-19(m86) worms and an isogenic wild type strain to identify additional putative DAF-19 target genes. Using transcriptional fusions with GFP, we compared the expression patterns of several potential gene targets using fluorescence confocal microscopy. Expression patterns were characterized in …
Reactive Oxygen Species-Mediated Neurodegeneration Is Independent Of The Ryanodine Receptor In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Lyndsay E.A. Young, Daniel C. Williams
Reactive Oxygen Species-Mediated Neurodegeneration Is Independent Of The Ryanodine Receptor In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Lyndsay E.A. Young, Daniel C. Williams
Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science
Despite the significant impacts on human health caused by neurodegeneration, our understanding of the degeneration process is incomplete. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is emerging as a genetic model organism well suited for identification of conserved cellular mechanisms and molecular pathways of neurodegeneration. Studies in the worm have identified factors that contribute to neurodegeneration, including excitotoxicity and stress due to reactive oxygen species (ROS). Disruption of the gene unc-68, which encodes the ryanodine receptor, abolishes excitotoxic cell death, indicating a role for calcium (Ca2+) signaling in neurodegeneration. We tested the requirement for unc-68 in ROS-mediated neurodegeneration using the …