1. Neuroligin-deficient mutants of C. elegans have sensory processing deficits and are hypersensitive to oxidative stress and mercury toxicity.
- Author
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Hunter JW, Mullen GP, McManus JR, Heatherly JM, Duke A, and Rand JB
- Subjects
- Animals, Behavior, Animal drug effects, Biomarkers metabolism, Caenorhabditis elegans cytology, Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal chemistry, Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal genetics, Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal metabolism, Cues, Genes, Reporter, Humans, Muscle Cells cytology, Muscle Cells drug effects, Muscle Cells metabolism, Neurons cytology, Neurons drug effects, Neurons metabolism, Protein Transport drug effects, Recombinant Fusion Proteins metabolism, Sequence Homology, Amino Acid, Synapses drug effects, Synapses metabolism, Temperature, Caenorhabditis elegans drug effects, Caenorhabditis elegans metabolism, Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal deficiency, Mercury toxicity, Mutation genetics, Oxidative Stress drug effects, Sensation drug effects
- Abstract
Neuroligins are postsynaptic cell adhesion proteins that bind specifically to presynaptic membrane proteins called neurexins. Mutations in human neuroligin genes are associated with autism spectrum disorders in some families. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has a single neuroligin gene (nlg-1), and approximately a sixth of C. elegans neurons, including some sensory neurons, interneurons and a subset of cholinergic motor neurons, express a neuroligin transcriptional reporter. Neuroligin-deficient mutants of C. elegans are viable, and they do not appear deficient in any major motor functions. However, neuroligin mutants are defective in a subset of sensory behaviors and sensory processing, and are hypersensitive to oxidative stress and mercury compounds; the behavioral deficits are strikingly similar to traits frequently associated with autism spectrum disorders. Our results suggest a possible link between genetic defects in synapse formation or function, and sensitivity to environmental factors in the development of autism spectrum disorders.
- Published
- 2010
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