Distinct roles for innexin gap junctions and hemichannels in mechanosensation
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, United Kingdom
Figures
Figure 1
unc-7 and unc-9 function in touch responses in ALM.
(A) Schematic showing positions of cell bodies and processes of the C. elegans touch receptor neurons. ALM and PLM are lateral pairs (left and right), of which only one of each is shown. Red …
Figure 2 with 2 supplements
Innexins are required for mechanosensation and electrical coupling of touch neurons.
(A, B, C) Gentle touch responses recorded in ALM for wild type worms, worms in which AVM has been laser ablated and worms expressing dsRNA under control of Pmec-7. Neurons have been classified as …
Figure 2—figure supplement 1
unc-7 is required for gentle touch response in AVM.
(A, B, C) Ca2+ response to 1 s buzz in AVM, for wild type and TRN-specific unc-7 RNAi animals. All AVM neurons assayed were located in the ‘near’ half of the animal, with respect to the stimulation …
Figure 2—figure supplement 2
PLML and PLMR do not cooperate via gap junctions.
(A, B, C) Ca2+ response to 1 s buzz in PLM, for wild type and TRN-specific unc-7 RNAi animals. (A) Average traces of % ratio change. Gray indicates SEM. (B) Scatter plot showing individual ratio …
Figure 3 with 1 supplement
The mechanosensory function of UNC-7 is gap junction-independent.
(A, B, C) Gentle touch responses recorded in ALM for wild type, unc-7(e5), and unc-7(e5) animals expressing unc-7 isoforms or pannexins under the control of Pmec-4. ‘Cysless’ indicates C173A, C191A, …
Figure 3—figure supplement 1
Expression of unc-7 or unc-9 dsRNA in other neurons does not disrupt the gentle touch response.
Behavioural response to anterior gentle touch, for the genotypes indicated. Error bars are SEM. Whereas both unc-7 and unc-9 null animals exhibit a significant defect (p<0.0001 in each case), Pnmr-1:…
Figure 4
unc-7 is specifically required for mechanosensation.
(A) Behavioural response to light stimulation of animals expressing channelrhodopsin in the TRNs. The proportion of wild type animals responding was not significantly different to that for Pmec-7::un…
Figure 5 with 5 supplements
UNC-7 and MEC-4 have distinct roles in harsh touch.
(A, B, C) Ca2+ responses recorded in ALM in response to harsh touch. (A) Representative examples of the two types of Ca2+ responses to harsh touch stimulation in ALM. (B) Average traces of % ratio …
Figure 5—figure supplement 1
Individual traces for the data shown in Figure 5, for wild type animals.
ALM Ca2+ responses to harsh touch. P denotes ‘prolonged’ type, T denotes “transient type responses.
Figure 5—figure supplement 2
Individual traces for the data shown in Figure 5, for mec-4(u253) animals.
ALM Ca2+ responses to harsh touch. P denotes ‘prolonged’ type, T denotes “transient types responses.
Figure 5—figure supplement 3
Individual traces for the data shown in Figure 5, Pmec-7::unc-7 dsRNA animals.
ALM Ca2+ responses to harsh touch. P denotes ‘prolonged’ type, T denotes “transient type responses.
Figure 5—figure supplement 4
mec-4 mutation and unc-7 RNAi both severely disrupt the ALM response to gentle touch.
(A, B, C) Ca2+ responses to gentle touch recorded in ALM. (A) Average traces of % ratio change. Gray indicates SEM. (B) Scatter plot showing individual ratio changes (diamonds). Bars indicate mean ± …
Figure 5—figure supplement 5
unc-7 RNAi disrupts the behavioural response to gentle touch.
(A, B) Behavioural response to anterior gentle touch, for genotypes indicated. Animals were stimulated at the back of the terminal bulb. Error bars are SEM, N = 190 for each genotype. (A) Proportion …
Figure 6
UNC-7 and MEC-4 act independently in touch neuron mechanosensation.
(A, B) Confocal microscopy of TRN neurons expressing mec-4::mcherry and unc-7a::gfp. (A) Example images of PLM, and composite of the two channels, showing colocalisation in white. (B) Percentage of …
Figure 7
Heterologous expression of UNC-7 hemichannels in olfactory neurons confers touch sensitivity.
(A, B, C) Nose touch responses recorded in ASK of wild type animals and animals expressing unc-7 cysless or mec-4 in ASK. (A) Average traces of % ratio change. Light gray indicates SEM. (B) Scatter …
Additional files
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Source code 1
SpikeFinder 4.4.
- https://cdn.elifesciences.org/articles/50597/elife-50597-code1-v3.zip
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Source code 2
NeuronTracker 3.1.
- https://cdn.elifesciences.org/articles/50597/elife-50597-code2-v3.rar
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Supplementary file 1
Strains used in this study.
- https://cdn.elifesciences.org/articles/50597/elife-50597-supp1-v3.docx
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Transparent reporting form
- https://cdn.elifesciences.org/articles/50597/elife-50597-transrepform-v3.docx
