A G-protein α subunit, GOA-1, plays a role in C. elegans avoidance behavior of strongly alkaline pH

Abstract

The ability of animals to avoid strongly alkaline pH is critical for survival. However, the means by which they sense high pH has not been determined. We have previously found that the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) avoids environmental pH above 10.5. Detection involves ASH nociceptive neurons as the major sensors. Upon stimulation, transient receptor potential vanilloid-type (TR PV) ion channels encoded by osm-9 and ocr-2 play an essential role in Ca2+ entry into ASH. Here we report that C. elegans mutants deficient in a G-protein a subunit, GOA -1, failed to avoid strongly alkaline pH with normal Ca2+ influx into ASH. These results suggest that GOA -1 regulates signal transmission downstream of Ca2+ influx through OSM-9/OCR-2 TR PV channels in ASH. © 2013 Landes Bioscience.