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Resources » Paper

Fernandez Abascal, J. et al. (2019) International Worm Meeting "Cl- channels in glia control touch behavior in C. elegans."

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  • Comments on Fernandez Abascal, J. et al. (2019) International Worm Meeting "Cl- channels in glia control touch behavior in C. elegans." (0)

  • Overview

    Status:
    Publication type:
    Meeting_abstract
    WormBase ID:
    WBPaper00058242

    Fernandez Abascal, J., Johnson, C. K., & Bianchi, L (2019). Cl- channels in glia control touch behavior in C. elegans presented in International Worm Meeting. Unpublished information; cite only with author permission.

    Glia are essential regulators of neuronal activity by maintaining the homeostasis of the microenvironment between neurons and glia. In mammalian touch receptors, accessory cells including glia have been shown to play a crucial role in mechanosensation, however, the mechanisms underlying such regulation are not fully understood. Our lab is using C. elegans to identify glial genes that regulate neuronal output and behavior. We published that voltage-gated Cl- channel CLH-1 is expressed in amphid sheath glia and that it contributes to HCO3- transport thereby regulating pH in the worm amphid sensory organ. To determine whether CLH-1 regulates sensory neurons output, we performed behavioral assays in clh-1 knock-outs and in animals in which we knocked-down clh-1 in amphid glia by cell specific RNAi. We show here that knock-out or glial knock-down of clh-1 results in nose touch insensitive phenotype, probably by inhibiting the activity of amphid sheath glia ensheathed nose touch sensing neurons ASH. Interestingly, the nose touch insensitive phenotype is partially rescued by cultivation of C. elegans on plates enriched with either Cl- or HCO3-. So, is it the Cl- or HCO3- permeability of CLH-1 that is needed for nose touch sensitivity? Rat ClC-2 is homologous to CLH-1 but it is not HCO3- permeable. To determine the role of Cl- and HCO3- permeability of glial Cl- channels in nose touch behavior, we expressed rat ClC-2 (rClC-2) in amphid glia of clh-1 knock-out animals and assayed nose touch. We found that rClC-2 fully rescued nose touch responses. Interestingly, cultivation of clh-1 animals expressing rClC-2 in amphid glia on plates enriched with HCO3- reduces nose touch responses. Electrophysiological and behavioral experiments are under way to fully establish the link between glial Cl- channels permeability properties and nose touch behavior. Our results show that glial Cl- channels in C. elegans regulate mechanosensory behaviors by regulating the concentration of Cl- (and possibly of HCO3- ) in amphid sensory organs.

    Affiliation:
    - Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami, Miami, FL


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