1. Identified neurons in C. elegans coexpress vesicular transporters for acetylcholine and monoamines.
- Author
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Duerr JS, Gaskin J, and Rand JB
- Subjects
- Animals, Caenorhabditis elegans, Carrier Proteins analysis, Carrier Proteins biosynthesis, Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Membrane Glycoproteins analysis, Membrane Glycoproteins biosynthesis, Neurons chemistry, Serotonin analysis, Serotonin metabolism, Synaptic Vesicles chemistry, Vesicular Acetylcholine Transport Proteins, Vesicular Biogenic Amine Transport Proteins, Vesicular Monoamine Transport Proteins, Carrier Proteins metabolism, Membrane Glycoproteins metabolism, Membrane Transport Proteins, Neurons metabolism, Neuropeptides, Synaptic Vesicles metabolism, Vesicular Transport Proteins
- Abstract
We have identified four neurons (VC4, VC5, HSNL, HSNR) in Caenorhabditis elegans adult hermaphrodites that express both the vesicular acetylcholine transporter and the vesicular monoamine transporter. All four of these cells are motor neurons that innervate the egg-laying muscles of the vulva. In addition, they all express choline acetyltransferase, the synthetic enzyme for acetylcholine. The distributions of the vesicular acetylcholine transporter and the vesicular monoamine transporter are not identical within the individual cells. In mutants deficient for either of these transporters, there is no apparent compensatory change in the expression of the remaining transporter. This is the first report of neurons that express two different vesicular neurotransmitter transporters in vivo.
- Published
- 2001
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