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Determining Genetic Expression Profiles in C. elegans Using Microarray and Real-time PCR
Published on: July 30, 2011
The Caenorhabditis elegans R13A5.9 gene plays a role in synaptic vesicle exocytosis
Tarou Ogurusu1, Kazumi Sakata1, Tokumitsu Wakabayashi1
1Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Iwate University, 4 Ueda, Morioka, Iwate 020-8551, Japan.
Abstract:
The Caenorhabditis elegans R13A5.9 gene encodes a putative membrane protein with homologs in mammals. When the R13A5.9 protein was fused to different fluorescent proteins, signal was observed in or near synaptic vesicles; thus, we sought to determine whether this gene plays a role in synaptic vesicle formation, function, or exocytosis. R13A5.9 mutant worms exhibited low sensitivity to aldicarb (an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor), which suggested that vesicular loading or release, or acetylcholine synthesis, was disrupted in these organisms. This was supported by the observation that an R13A5.9 mutant strain exhibited an excessive accumulation of synaptic vesicles. Collectively, these results suggest a functional role for R13A5.9 in synaptic vesicle exocytosis.
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