RRC ID 65178
Author Park L, Luth ES, Jones K, Hofer J, Nguyen I, Watters KE, Juo P.
Title The Snail transcription factor CES-1 regulates glutamatergic behavior in C. elegans.
Journal PLoS One
Abstract Regulation of AMPA-type glutamate receptor (AMPAR) expression and function alters synaptic strength and is a major mechanism underlying synaptic plasticity. Although transcription is required for some forms of synaptic plasticity, the transcription factors that regulate AMPA receptor expression and signaling are incompletely understood. Here, we identify the Snail family transcription factor ces-1 in an RNAi screen for conserved transcription factors that regulate glutamatergic behavior in C. elegans. ces-1 was originally discovered as a selective cell death regulator of neuro-secretory motor neuron (NSM) and I2 interneuron sister cells in C. elegans, and has almost exclusively been studied in the NSM cell lineage. We found that ces-1 loss-of-function mutants have defects in two glutamatergic behaviors dependent on the C. elegans AMPA receptor GLR-1, the mechanosensory nose-touch response and spontaneous locomotion reversals. In contrast, ces-1 gain-of-function mutants exhibit increased spontaneous reversals, and these are dependent on glr-1 consistent with these genes acting in the same pathway. ces-1 mutants have wild type cholinergic neuromuscular junction function, suggesting that they do not have a general defect in synaptic transmission or muscle function. The effect of ces-1 mutation on glutamatergic behaviors is not due to ectopic cell death of ASH sensory neurons or GLR-1-expressing neurons that mediate one or both of these behaviors, nor due to an indirect effect on NSM sister cell deaths. Rescue experiments suggest that ces-1 may act, in part, in GLR-1-expressing neurons to regulate glutamatergic behaviors. Interestingly, ces-1 mutants suppress the increased reversal frequencies stimulated by a constitutively-active form of GLR-1. However, expression of glr-1 mRNA or GFP-tagged GLR-1 was not decreased in ces-1 mutants suggesting that ces-1 likely promotes GLR-1 function. This study identifies a novel role for ces-1 in regulating glutamatergic behavior that appears to be independent of its canonical role in regulating cell death in the NSM cell lineage.
Volume 16(2)
Pages e0245587
Published 2021-1-1
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0245587
PII PONE-D-20-23507
PMID 33529210
PMC PMC7853468
MeSH Animals Animals, Genetically Modified Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics* Caenorhabditis elegans / metabolism* Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / genetics Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism* DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism* Gain of Function Mutation Glutamic Acid / metabolism* Interneurons / metabolism Locomotion / genetics Loss of Function Mutation Neuronal Plasticity / genetics RNA Interference Receptors, AMPA / metabolism* Sensory Receptor Cells / metabolism Signal Transduction / genetics* Snail Family Transcription Factors / genetics Snail Family Transcription Factors / metabolism* Synapses / metabolism Transcription Factors / genetics Transcription Factors / metabolism* Transgenes
Resource
C.elegans tm1036