Gap junction modulators for C. elegans

[Pythagorean]

Are there any known gap junction openers/closers for C. elegans? I've googled far and wide for weeks. Trimethylamine, quinine, and carbenoxolone are known to work with connexins in mammals. They also happen to be expensive and require more paperwork, so I don't want to go through the steps just to find they don't work on innexin proteins (inx genes).

There are mutant strains (in inx genes) of C. elegans, but gap junctions are important in development too, so I'd think using mutants would meddle with results when trying to assay the function of gap junctions in healthy adults.

 

[Monique]

I don't know, you could contact some PIs and ask whether they have experience with the drugs.

 

[Pythagorean]

Yeah, I suppose it's come down to that. Thanks for the reply.

 

[atyy]

Would RNAi work?

Take a look at http://www.jbc.org/content/281/12/7881.short Fig 4B. I believe the caveat is that it requires that the gene is involved only in gap junctions and no where else (ie. gap junction => gene, but I don't know if there is evidence that gene => gap junction).

 

[Pythagorean]

link didn't work for me. (edit: ok, nevermind worked the second try)

Another thing with RNAi is there are non-neuronal gap junctions. But there are several different inx genes associated with different sets of cells. I use wormweb to see what genes are expressed in what neuron, but I've never found a neuron of interest for which inx genes are uniquely expressed.

 

[Pythagorean]

ah yes, that paper uses unc genes, which are associated with innexins, but I don't think it's unique. Some inx genes actually code for the subunits of the gap junction.

Anyway, I'll have to think about RNAi with inx genes more.