Expression of mammalian GPCRs in C. elegans generates novel behavioural responses to human ligands.

ABSTRACT:

Background

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play a crucial role in many biological processes and represent a major class of drug targets. However, purification of GPCRs for biochemical study is difficult and current methods of studying receptor-ligand interactions involve in vitro systems. Caenorhabditis elegans is a soil-dwelling, bacteria-feeding nematode that uses GPCRs expressed in chemosensory neurons to detect bacteria and environmental compounds, making this an ideal system for studying in vivo GPCR-ligand interactions. We sought to test this by functionally expressing two medically important mammalian GPCRs, somatostatin receptor 2 (Sstr2) and chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) in the gustatory neurons of C. elegans.

Results

Expression of Sstr2 and CCR5 in gustatory neur

SUBMITTER: Teng MS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1550261 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature