We are interested in determining how G-proteins modulate the activity of ion channels in the C. elegans nervous system. To generate phenotypes dependent on G-protein signaling, we expressed mammalian G-proteins under the control of the
glr-1 promoter, which drives expression in a set of neurons including those controlling foraging and locomotion (RMD, AVA, AVB, AVD, and PVC). Expression of wild-type rat G-alpha-s impairs backward locomotion, while consitutively active rat G-alpha-s causes paralysis and neuronal degeneration in a subset of G-alpha-s-expressing cells, primarily the PVC and AVD neurons. Our model for the neurodegeneration is that activated G-alpha-s is misregulating an ion channel in AVD and PVC, causing osmotic imbalance and consequent swelling. Degenerating neurons appear enlarged and vacuolated, similar to those in worms carrying gain-of-function mutations in
deg-1 and other degenerins. We tested whether activated G-alpha-s is killing cells by misregulating known ion channels. Loss-of-function mutations in
deg-1,
mec-6,
unc-36,
unc-2, and
egl-19 were unable to suppress the degenerations, suggesting that G-alpha-s is not acting through these degenerins or calcium channels. Mutations in
ced-3 and
ced-4 do not prevent G-alpha-s-induced degenerations, indicating that G-alpha-s is not killing through apoptosis. To identify the components of the signaling pathway downstream of G-alpha-s, we screened for mutations that suppress the paralysis caused by activated G-alpha-s. In a screen of 7,760 haploid genomes, we identified 8 mutations that suppress paralysis and neurodegeneration and 8 mutations that suppress only paralysis. Five of the degeneration suppressors map to chromosome III and may be allelic. These mutations are semidominant, and several cause a hyperactive phenotype in the absence of activated G-alpha-s. Because hyperactivity also results from mutations in the Go signaling pathway, our suppressor mutations may identify a gene invovled in both the Gs and Go signaling pathways. We are continuing to map and characterize the suppressor genes.