Related Experiment Videos
The C. elegans G-protein-coupled receptor SRA-13 inhibits RAS/MAPK signalling during olfaction and vulval development
Gopal Battu1, Erika Froehli Hoier, Alex Hajnal
1Zoologisches Institut, Universitaet Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
Abstract:
In C. elegans, the RAS/MAPK pathway is used in different tissues to regulate various cell fate decisions. Several positive and negative regulators tightly control the activity of the RAS/MAPK pathway at different steps. We demonstrate a link between a G-protein-coupled receptor signalling pathway and the RAS/MAPK cascade. SRA-13, a member of the SRA family of chemosensory receptors, negatively regulates RAS/MAPK signalling during vulval induction and the olfaction of volatile attractants. Epistasis analysis indicates that SRA-13 inhibits the RAS/MAPK pathway at the level or upstream of MAPK. In both tissues, the vulval precursor cells and the chemosensory neurones, SRA-13 acts through the GPA-5 Galpha protein subunit, suggesting a common mechanism of crosstalk. Moreover, we find that vulval induction is repressed by food withdrawal during larval development and that SRA-13 activity is required for the suppression of vulval induction in response to food starvation. Thus, SRA-13 may serve to adapt the activity of the RAS/MAPK pathway to environmental conditions.
Insights
A novel chemosensory receptor, SRA-13, negatively regulates the RAS/MAPK pathway in C. elegans. This receptor links G-protein-coupled receptor signaling to RAS/MAPK, influencing cell fate and environmental adaptation.
Area of Science:
- Cellular and Developmental Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Neurobiology
Background:
- The RAS/MAPK pathway is crucial for cell fate decisions in C. elegans.
- This pathway's activity is tightly regulated by various signaling molecules.
- G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling pathways are known regulators of cellular processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the crosstalk between GPCR signaling and the RAS/MAPK pathway.
- To identify novel regulators of RAS/MAPK signaling in C. elegans.
- To understand how environmental conditions influence developmental pathways.
Main Methods:
- Epistasis analysis to determine the inhibitory site of SRA-13.
- Investigating SRA-13 function in vulval induction and olfaction.
- Identifying the downstream effector of SRA-13, GPA-5.
Main Results:
- SRA-13, a chemosensory receptor, negatively regulates RAS/MAPK signaling.
- SRA-13 inhibits the RAS/MAPK pathway at or upstream of MAPK.
- SRA-13 acts via the GPA-5 Galpha protein subunit in both vulval precursor cells and chemosensory neurons.
- SRA-13 mediates the repression of vulval induction by food withdrawal.
Conclusions:
- SRA-13 provides a link between GPCR signaling and the RAS/MAPK cascade.
- SRA-13 acts as a common inhibitory mechanism in different tissues.
- SRA-13 enables adaptation of RAS/MAPK pathway activity to environmental cues like food availability.