MiR-786 regulation of a fatty-acid elongase contributes to rhythmic calcium-wave initiation in C. elegans.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Rhythmic behaviors are ubiquitous phenomena in animals. In C. elegans, defecation is an ultradian rhythmic behavior: every ∼50 s a calcium wave initiating in the posterior intestinal cells triggers the defecation motor program that comprises three sequential muscle contractions. Oscillatory calcium signaling is central to the periodicity of defecation. The posteriormost intestinal cells function as the pacemaker for this rhythmic behavior, although it is unclear how the supremacy of these cells for calcium-wave initiation is controlled.

Results

We describe how the loss of the mir-240/786 microRNA cluster, which results in arrhythmic defecation, causes ectopic intestinal calcium-wave initiation. mir-240/786 expression in the intestine is restricted to the posterior

SUBMITTER: Kemp BJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3586602 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature