Minh Nguyen1, A. Fernandez1, Christopher Johnson1, James B. Rand1
1Program in Molecular and Cell Biology, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104, USA.
Tóm tắt
Abstract
We characterized 18 genes from Caenorhabditis elegans that, when mutated, confer recessive resistance to inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase. These include previously described genes as well as newly identified genes; they encode essential as well as nonessential functions. In the absence of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, the different mutants display a wide range of behavioral deficits, from mild uncoordination to almost complete paralysis. Measurements of acetylcholine levels in these mutants suggest that some of the genes are involved in presynaptic functions.
