- THIS ARTICLE
- Full Text (PDF)
- Alert me when this article is cited
- Alert me if a correction is posted
- SERVICES
- Similar articles in this journal
- Similar articles in PubMed
- Alert me to new issues of the journal
- Download to citation manager
- Reprints & Permissions
- CITING ARTICLES
- Citing Articles via HighWire
- Citing Articles via Google Scholar
- GOOGLE SCHOLAR
- Articles by Rand, J. B.
- Articles by Russell, R. L.
- Search for Related Content
- PUBMED
- PubMed Citation
- Articles by Rand, J. B.
- Articles by Russell, R. L.
CHOLINE ACETYLTRANSFERASE-DEFICIENT MUTANTS OF THE NEMATODE CAENORHABDITIS ELEGANS
James B. Rand 1 and Richard L. Russell 1
1 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260
We have identified five independent allelic mutations, defining the gene cha-1, that result in decreased choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity in Caenorhabditis elegans. Four of the mutant alleles, when homozygous, lead to ChAT reductions of>98%, as well as recessive phenotypes of uncoordinated behavior, small size, slow growth and resistance to cholinesterase inhibitors. Animals homozygous for the fifth allele retain approximately 10% of the wild-type enzyme level; purified enzyme from this mutant has altered Km values for both choline and acetyl-CoA and is more thermolabile than the wild-type enzyme. These qualitative alterations, together with gene dosage data, argue that cha-1 is the structural gene for ChAT. cha-1 has been mapped to the left arm of linkage group IV and is within 0.02 map unit of the gene unc-17, mutant alleles of which lead to all of the phenotypes of cha-1 mutants except for the ChAT deficiency. Extensive complementation studies of cha-1 and unc-17 alleles reveal a complex complementation pattern, suggesting that both loci may be part of a single complex gene.
Submitted on August 22, 1983Accepted on October 14, 1983
This article has been cited by other articles:
 |
|
 |
|
  G. P. Mullen, E. A. Mathews, M. H. Vu, J. W. Hunter, D. L. Frisby, A. Duke, K. Grundahl, J. D. Osborne, J. A. Crowell, and J. B. Rand Choline Transport and de novo Choline Synthesis Support Acetylcholine Biosynthesis in Caenorhabditis elegans Cholinergic Neurons Genetics, September 1, 2007; 177(1): 195 - 204. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. A. Steger and L. Avery The GAR-3 Muscarinic Receptor Cooperates With Calcium Signals to Regulate Muscle Contraction in the Caenorhabditis elegans Pharynx Genetics, June 1, 2004; 167(2): 633 - 643. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 I. A. Bany, M.-Q. Dong, and M. R. Koelle Genetic and Cellular Basis for Acetylcholine Inhibition of Caenorhabditis elegans Egg-Laying Behavior J. Neurosci., September 3, 2003; 23(22): 8060 - 8069. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 H. Zhu, J. S. Duerr, H. Varoqui, J. R. McManus, J. B. Rand, and J. D. Erickson Analysis of Point Mutants in the Caenorhabditis elegans Vesicular Acetylcholine Transporter Reveals Domains Involved in Substrate Translocation J. Biol. Chem., November 2, 2001; 276(45): 41580 - 41587. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. S. Duerr, J. Gaskin, and J. B. Rand Identified neurons in C. elegans coexpress vesicular transporters for acetylcholine and monoamines Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, June 1, 2001; 280(6): C1616 - C1622. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. J. Yook, S. R. Proulx, and E. M. Jorgensen Rules of Nonallelic Noncomplementation at the Synapse in Caenorhabditis elegans Genetics, May 1, 2001; 158(1): 209 - 220. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. Ohno, A. Tsujino, J. M. Brengman, C. M. Harper, Z. Bajzer, B. Udd, R. Beyring, S. Robb, F. J. Kirkham, and A. G. Engel Choline acetyltransferase mutations cause myasthenic syndrome associated with episodic apnea in humans PNAS, February 13, 2001; 98(4): 2017 - 2022. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. B. RAND, J. S. DUERR, and D. L. FRISBY Neurogenetics of vesicular transporters in C. elegans FASEB J, December 1, 2000; 14(15): 2414 - 2422. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. D. ERICKSON and H. VAROQUI Molecular analysis of vesicular amine transporter function and targeting to secretory organelles FASEB J, December 1, 2000; 14(15): 2450 - 2458. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. W. Harris, E. Hartwieg, H. R. Horvitz, and E. M. Jorgensen Mutations in Synaptojanin Disrupt Synaptic Vesicle Recycling J. Cell Biol., August 7, 2000; 150(3): 589 - 600. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 H Zhao and M. Nonet A retrograde signal is involved in activity-dependent remodeling at a C. elegans neuromuscular junction Development, January 3, 2000; 127(6): 1253 - 1266. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. Sassa, S.-i. Harada, H. Ogawa, J. B. Rand, I. N. Maruyama, and R. Hosono Regulation of the UNC-18-Caenorhabditis elegans Syntaxin Complex by UNC-13 J. Neurosci., June 15, 1999; 19(12): 4772 - 4777. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. Kitamoto, W. Wang, and P. M. Salvaterra Structure and Organization of the Drosophila Cholinergic Locus J. Biol. Chem., January 30, 1998; 273(5): 2706 - 2713. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. Gengyo-Ando, H. Kitayama, M. Mukaida, and Y. Ikawa A Murine Neural-Specific Homolog Corrects Cholinergic Defects in Caenorhabditis elegans unc-18 Mutants J. Neurosci., November 1, 1996; 16(21): 6695 - 6702. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A Alfonso, K Grundahl, J. Duerr, H. Han, and J. Rand The Caenorhabditis elegans unc-17 gene: a putative vesicular acetylcholine transporter Science, July 30, 1993; 261(5121): 617 - 619. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. De Gois, L. Houhou, Y. Oda, M. Corbex, F. Pajak, E. Thevenot, G. Vodjdani, J. Mallet, and S. Berrard Is RE1/NRSE a Common cis-Regulatory Sequence for ChAT and VAChT Genes? J. Biol. Chem., November 17, 2000; 275(47): 36683 - 36690. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|