Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Basic Caenorhabditis elegans Methods: Synchronization and Observation
11:34

Basic Caenorhabditis elegans Methods: Synchronization and Observation

Published on: June 10, 2012

49.4K

G Proteins and GPCRs in C. elegans Development: A Story of Mutual Infidelity

Daniel Matúš1, Simone Prömel2

  • 1Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany. daniel.matus@medizin.uni-leipzig.de.

Journal of Developmental Biology
|November 28, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Cell polarity in C. elegans development involves complex signaling pathways. This study explores how G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and G proteins interact unusually, offering new insights into cellular communication.

Area of Science:

  • Cellular biology
  • Developmental biology
  • Molecular signaling

Background:

  • Cell polarity is crucial for C. elegans development, regulated by complex signaling pathways.
  • G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), like Frizzled family Wnt receptors, are key regulators.
  • Classical G protein signaling is not typically activated by these GPCRs during embryogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the non-canonical signaling mechanisms of GPCRs in C. elegans development.
  • To understand the distinct roles of GPCRs and heterotrimeric G proteins in cell polarity.
  • To elucidate the unique ways GPCRs and G proteins regulate cellular communication.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of GPCR and G protein interactions in C. elegans.
  • Investigating signaling pathways independent of classical G protein cascades.
  • Studying the modulation of G protein activity by regulators like GEFs, GAPs, and GDIs.

Main Results:

  • GPCRs, particularly Frizzled receptors, do not activate canonical G protein signaling during C. elegans embryogenesis.
  • Heterotrimeric G proteins are essential for cell polarity but are modulated independently of GPCRs.
  • Downstream effectors and signaling pathways involved are atypical and not fully defined.

Conclusions:

  • C. elegans exhibits a unique separation of GPCR function and G protein activity, crucial for cellular communication.
  • This non-canonical signaling allows for multifaceted regulation of cellular responses.
  • Further research in C. elegans is vital to understand these complex principles of developmental signaling.
Keywords:
G proteinsGPCRsdevelopmentreceptor-independent function

More Related Videos

In Vivo Hydroxyl Radical Protein Footprinting for the Study of Protein Interactions in Caenorhabditis elegans08:00

In Vivo Hydroxyl Radical Protein Footprinting for the Study of Protein Interactions in Caenorhabditis elegans

Published on: April 1, 2020

7.3K
Construction of Model Lipid Membranes Incorporating G-protein Coupled Receptors GPCRs09:45

Construction of Model Lipid Membranes Incorporating G-protein Coupled Receptors GPCRs

Published on: February 5, 2022

4.0K

Related Concept Videos

Mutual Inductance01:24

Mutual Inductance

Inductance is the property of a device that tells us how effectively it induces an emf in another device. In other words, it is a physical quantity that expresses the effectiveness of a given device.
When two circuits carrying time-varying currents are close to one another, the magnetic flux through each circuit varies because of the changing current in the other circuit. Consequently, an emf is induced in each circuit by the changing current in the other. Therefore, this type of emf is called...
3.8K
GPCRs Regulate Adenylyl Cylase Activity01:09

GPCRs Regulate Adenylyl Cylase Activity

Some GPCRs transmit signals through adenylyl cyclase (AC), a transmembrane enzyme. AC helps synthesize second messenger cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). AC catalyzes cyclization reaction and converts ATP to cAMP by releasing a pyrophosphate. The pyrophosphate is further hydrolyzed to phosphate by the enzyme pyrophosphatase, which drives cAMP synthesis to completion. However, cAMP is rapidly degraded to 5′ AMP by the enzymes phosphodiesterase (PDE), preventing overstimulation of...
7.5K
G-protein Coupled Receptors01:21

G-protein Coupled Receptors

G-protein coupled receptors are ligand binding receptors that indirectly affect changes in the cell. The actual receptor is a single polypeptide that transverses the cell membrane seven times creating intracellular and extracellular loops. The extracellular loops create a ligand specific pocket which binds to neurotransmitters or hormones. The intracellular loops holds onto the G-protein.
132.0K
Sustainable Development01:43

Sustainable Development

As the human population continues to grow and use resources, we must be mindful of our planet’s natural limits. Sustainable development provides a pathway to maintain and improve human life now while also ensuring that future generations will have the resources that they need. The long-term success of sustainability efforts rests on understanding the interplay between human actions and ecological systems.
15.1K
Protein-protein Interfaces02:04

Protein-protein Interfaces

Many proteins form complexes to carry out their functions, making protein-protein interactions (PPIs) essential for an organism's survival. Most PPIs are stabilized by numerous weak noncovalent chemical forces. The physical shape of the interfaces determines the way two proteins interact. Many globular proteins have closely-matching shapes on their surfaces, which form a large number of weak bonds. Additionally, many PPIs occur between two helices or between a surface cleft and a...
14.7K
Protein and Protein Structure02:15

Protein and Protein Structure

Proteins are one of the most abundant organic molecules in living systems and have the most diverse range of functions of all macromolecules. Proteins may be structural, regulatory, contractile, or protective. They may serve in transport, storage, or membranes; or they may be toxins or enzymes. Their structures, like their functions, vary greatly. They are all, however, amino acid polymers arranged in a linear sequence.
A protein's shape is critical to its function. For example, an enzyme...
87.6K