[
Worm Breeder's Gazette,
1997]
Neuropeptides form the largest class of neuroactive substances, yet as a group their roles in nervous system function and development are still poorly understood. Only the FMRFamides and related neuropeptides (FaRPs) have been intensely studied in C. elegans. However, in Aplysia californica, over 40 neuropeptides have been identified and characterized. This suggests that many C. elegans neuropeptides have not yet been discovered. With the near completion of the C. elegans genome sequencing project, reverse genetic techniques can be applied to identify C. elegans neuropeptide genes. We are using FASTA and BLAST to search with previously identified neuropeptide sequences (stored in GENBANK) against the C. elegans genome sequence. We expect the products of neuropeptide genes to fit a prepropeptide model: they should contain a putative signal peptide region, followed by interrupted multiple repeats of the same or similar neuropeptide. Additionally, the predicted neuropeptides should be flanked by pairs of basic amino acids (KR, RR, KK, RK) or less frequently by monobasic residues (R or K) which are preferred sites of endoproteolytic cleavage. Potential C. elegans neuropeptide gene compatible with the prepropeptide model are then selected for molecular and genetic analysis. We are currently analyzing C. elegans genes encoding neuropeptides similar to Aplysia buccalin (C. elegans C01C4.1) and myomodulin (C. elegans T24D8.3, T24D8.4, T24D8.5 and T01B6.4). (See below.) Even though the predicted C. elegans neuropeptide sequences are not strikingly similar to the Aplysia neuropeptides, there is strong internal homology between neuropeptides within the same C. elegans genes. We are creating reporter constructs by fusing the promoter region of potential neuropeptide genes to the GFP gene using Fire laboratory vectors. We are injecting these reporter constructs to assess cellular expression patterns of these myomodulin-like and buccalin-like genes. We think that it is likely that the GENEFINDER predicted genes of T24D8.3, .4 and .5 are exons of a single gene. We will use RT-PCR to determine mRNA splicing patterns. Our long range goals include creating mutations in these genes and determining the function of these and other putative C. elegans neuropeptides. Identity is indicated with a colon, gaps with underlining. SLSMLRLG____ Aplysia Myomodulin A :MA:G:::LRPG T24D8.5 :MAYG:Q:FRPG # :IALG:S:FRPG :MAIG:A:MRPG T24D8.4 :IAIG:A:FRPG T24D8.3 N:LVG:Y:FRIG T01B6.4 DPNVDPYSYLPSVG Aplysia Buccalin _VNL::N:FRM:F: C01C4.1 ___M:ANAFRM:F: # ___M::NAFRM:F:
[
Worm Breeder's Gazette,
1985]
Strain requests: Please remember to request strains by letter, even if you've made a request by phone. Letters should list what strains you want (strain name or gene name is fine), briefly state what you want them for, and state your funding source (no numbers, just the institution or agency). Bibliography: The complete CGC bibliography (on paper) will shortly be mailed to each lab with a CGC laboratory designation. In addition, the bibliography is now available on computer diskette in a variety of formats, including dBase III, IBM-compatible ASCII, Apple II- and Macintosh-compatible ASCII. The ASCII data can be read with line editors and many word processors. To obtain a copy, send me a blank diskette (or diskettes) formatted with PC-DOS, MS-DOS or Apple DOS and tell me which format you want. The bibliography is about 300 kilobytes in size, so send enough diskettes to contain it all. For IBM-type drives, we can handle 1.2 Mb or 360 Kb diskettes. Complete file structure information will accompany each disk sent out. Films: The CGC now has a copy of the Encyclopaedia Britannica film 'Nematode' and a copy of Einhard Schierenberg's embryonic development film. We will loan these films for a period of two weeks to any laboratory with a CGC lab designation. Requests for such loans should be made by letter from the laboratory head to me or Don Riddle at the CGC. Electronic Mail: The University of Missouri is a node of the BITNET computer network, with connections (gateways) to the CSNET, CCNET, UUCP and MAILNET networks. People with local access to BITNET can send electronic mail to the CGC by directing it to 'BIOSCGC at UMCVMB'. Communicating over gateways to BITNET requires a little more complicated addressing. Anyone who wants to try electronic mail should contact me by regular mail first for detailed instructions, so I'll know if the message gets lost. According to our BITNET node list, the following worm-breeder institutions have direct access to BITNET: Cornell University, Columbia University, University of California at Berkeley, MIT, Harvard, University of Illinois at Chicago, North Carolina State University, Washington University, University of Houston, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Massachusetts, SUNY at Buffalo, University of California at Santa Cruz, Duke University, University of Texas at El Paso. There are certainly other BITNET nodes that are not on our list. In Europe, EARNET can be used to connect to BITNET.