Abstract
In vertebrate visual and olfactory systems, a cyclic nucleotide-gated channel couples receptor activation to electrical activity of the sensory neurons. The Caenorhabditis elegans tax-2 gene is required for some forms of olfaction, for chemosensation of salts, and for thermosensation. We show here that tax-2 encodes a predicted subunit of a cyclic nucleotide-gated channel that is expressed in olfactory, gustatory, and thermosensory neurons, implicating this channel in multiple sensory modalities. Some sensory neurons display axon outgrowth defects in tax-2 mutants. Thus, the channel has an unexpected role in sensory neuron development in addition to its role in sensation. Consistent with this proposed dual function, a Tax-2::GFP fusion protein is present both in sensory cilia and in sensory axons.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Alleles
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Animals
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Axons / physiology*
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Axons / ultrastructure
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Caenorhabditis elegans / classification
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Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics
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Caenorhabditis elegans / physiology*
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins*
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Chromosome Mapping
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Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
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Genes, Helminth
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Ion Channels / chemistry
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Ion Channels / genetics
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Ion Channels / physiology*
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Mutagenesis
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Neurons, Afferent / physiology*
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Phylogeny
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Recombinant Fusion Proteins / biosynthesis
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Salts
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Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
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Temperature
Substances
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
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Ion Channels
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Recombinant Fusion Proteins
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Salts
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tax-2 protein, C elegans