Behavioral Analysis of the Huntingtin-Associated Protein 1 Ortholog Trak-1 in Caenorhabditis elegans

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Fran Norflus, Clayton State University; Jingnan Bu, Emory University; Evon Guyton, Clayton State University; Claire-Anne Gutekunst, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2016-06-19
• Publisher: Wiley: 12 months
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jnr.23756
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Journal of Neuroscience Research
• ISSN: 0360-4012
• Volume: 94
• Issue: 9
• Start Page: 850
• End Page: 856
• Grant/Funding Information: his research was supported by an NIH grant (1R03NS058376), a linkage fellowship from the minorities affairs committee of the American Society of Cell Biology, funds from the Natural Sciences department at Clayton State University and the Neurosurgery department at Emory University.
• Keywords: Neurosciences; DYSFUNCTION; LOCALIZATION; GENE; huntingtin-associated protein 1; CHEMOSENSORY NEURON; DEATH; Neurosciences & Neurology; TRAFFICKING; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; trak-1; C-ELEGANS; neurons; HAP1; BRAIN; MUTATION; T27A3.1; Science & Technology
• Research Categories: Biology, Molecular; Biology, Neuroscience

Abstract

The precise role of huntingtin-associated protein 1 (HAP1) is not known, but studies have shown that it is important for early development and survival. A Caenorhabditis elegans ortholog of HAP1, T27A3.1 (also called trak-1), has been found and is expressed in a subset of neurons. Potential behavioral functions of three knockout lines of T27A3.1 were examined. From its suspected role in mice we hypothesize that T27A3.1 might be involved in egg hatching and early growth, mechanosensation, chemosensation, sensitivity to osmolarity, and synaptic transmission. Our studies show that the knockout worms are significantly different from the wild-type (WT) worms only in the synaptic transmission test, which was measured by adding aldicarb, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. The change in function was determined by measuring the number of worms paralyzed. However, when the T27A3.1 worms were tested for egg hatching and early growth, mechanosensation, chemosensation, and sensitivity to osmolarity, there were no significant differences between the knockout and WT worms. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.