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A seven-transmembrane receptor that mediates avoidance response to dihydrocaffeic acid, a water-soluble repellent in Caenorhabditis elegans

Aoki, Reina, Yagami, Tatsorou, Sasakura, Hiroyiki, Ogura, Ken-ichi, Kajihara, Yasuhiro, Ibi, Masakazu, Miyamae, Takeaki, Nakamura, Fumio, Asakura, Taro, Kanai, Yoshikatsu, and others. (2011) A seven-transmembrane receptor that mediates avoidance response to dihydrocaffeic acid, a water-soluble repellent in Caenorhabditis elegans. The Journal of Neuroscience, 31 (46). pp. 16603-16610. ISSN 1529-2401. E-ISSN 1529-2401. (doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4018-11.2011) (KAR id:91140)

Abstract

The ability to detect harmful chemicals rapidly is essential for the survival of all animals. In Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), repellents trigger an avoidance response, causing animals to move away from repellents. Dihydrocaffeic acid (DHCA) is a water-soluble repellent and nonflavonoid catecholic compound that can be found in plant products. Using a Xenopus laevis (X. laevis) oocyte expression system, we identified a candidate dihydrocaffeic acid receptor (DCAR), DCAR-1. DCAR-1 is a novel seven-transmembrane protein that is expressed in the ASH avoidance sensory neurons of C. elegans. dcar-1 mutant animals are defective in avoidance response to DHCA, and cell-specific expression of dcar-1 in the ASH neurons of dcar-1 mutant animals rescued the defect in avoidance response to DHCA. Our findings identify DCAR-1 as the first seven-transmembrane receptor required for avoidance of a water-soluble repellent, DHCA, in C. elegans.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4018-11.2011
Subjects: Q Science > QP Physiology (Living systems)
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Biosciences
Depositing User: Marina Ezcurra
Date Deposited: 28 Oct 2021 10:54 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:27 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/91140 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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