Diverse modes of synaptic signaling, regulation, and plasticity distinguish two classes of <i>C. elegans</i> glutamatergic neurons.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 29160768.
- Also identified by DOI 10.7554/eLife.31234 and PMC identifier 5705214.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Synaptic vesicle release properties vary between neuronal cell types, but in most cases the molecular basis of this heterogeneity is unknown. Here, we compare in vivo synaptic properties of two neuronal classes in the <i>C. elegans</i> central nervous system, using VGLUT-pHluorin to monitor synaptic vesicle exocytosis and retrieval in intact animals. We show that the glutamatergic sensory neurons AWC<sup>ON</sup> and ASH have distinct synaptic dynamics associated with tonic and phasic synaptic properties, respectively. Exocytosis in ASH and AWC<sup>ON</sup> is differentially affected by SNARE-complex regulators that are present in both neurons: phasic ASH release is strongly dependent on UNC-13, whereas tonic AWC<sup>ON</sup> release relies upon UNC-18 and on the protein kinase C homolog PKC-1. Strong stimuli that elicit high calcium levels increase exocytosis and retrieval rates in AWC<sup>ON</sup>, generating distinct tonic and evoked synaptic modes. These results highlight the differential deployment of shared presynaptic proteins in neuronal cell type-specific functions.
Medical subject headings
- Caenorhabditis elegans
- Central Nervous System
- Sensory Receptor Cells
- Synapses
- Synaptic Vesicles