The cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase EGL-4 regulates olfactory adaptation in C. elegans

Noelle D L'Etoile; Cara M Coburn; Jeffery Eastham; Amy Kistler; Gloriana Gallegos; Cornelia I Bargmann

doi:10.1016/s0896-6273(02)01066-8

The cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase EGL-4 regulates olfactory adaptation in C. elegans

Neuron. 2002 Dec 19;36(6):1079-89. doi: 10.1016/s0896-6273(02)01066-8.

Authors

Noelle D L'Etoile¹, Cara M Coburn, Jeffery Eastham, Amy Kistler, Gloriana Gallegos, Cornelia I Bargmann

Affiliation

¹ Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Programs in Developmental Biology, Neuroscience, and Genetics, Department of Anatomy, The University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.

PMID: 12495623
DOI: 10.1016/s0896-6273(02)01066-8

Abstract

Prolonged odor exposure causes a specific, reversible adaptation of olfactory responses. A genetic screen for negative regulators of olfaction uncovered mutations in the cGMP-dependent protein kinase EGL-4 that disrupt olfactory adaptation in C. elegans. G protein-coupled olfactory receptors within the AWC olfactory neuron signal through cGMP and a cGMP-gated channel. The cGMP-dependent kinase functions in AWC neurons during odor exposure to direct adaptation to AWC-sensed odors, suggesting that adaptation is a cell intrinsic process initiated by cGMP. A predicted phosphorylation site on the beta subunit of the cGMP-gated channel is required for adaptation after short odor exposure, suggesting that phosphorylation of signaling molecules generates adaptation at early time points. A predicted nuclear localization signal within EGL-4 is required for adaptation after longer odor exposure, suggesting that nuclear translocation of EGL-4 triggers late forms of adaptation.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Adaptation, Physiological / genetics*
Animals
Caenorhabditis elegans / cytology
Caenorhabditis elegans / enzymology*
Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics
Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / genetics
Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism*
Chemoreceptor Cells / cytology
Chemoreceptor Cells / metabolism
Chromosome Mapping
Cosmids / genetics
Cyclic GMP / metabolism
Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / deficiency*
Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / genetics
Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / metabolism*
Genetic Testing
Ion Channels / genetics
Ion Channels / metabolism
Molecular Sequence Data
Mutation / genetics
Nervous System / cytology
Nervous System / enzymology*
Neurons / cytology
Neurons / metabolism
Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
Signal Transduction / genetics
Smell / genetics*

Substances

Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
Ion Channels
tax-2 protein, C elegans
Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinases
EGL-4 protein, C elegans
Cyclic GMP