miR-786 Regulation of a Fatty-Acid Elongase Contributes to Rhythmic Calcium-Wave Initiation in C. elegans

Authors

Benedict J. Kemp, Marquette University
Erik Allman, University of Rochester
Lois Immerman, Oberlin College
Megan Mohnen, Marquette University
Maureen A. Peters, Oberlin College
Keith Nerhke, University of Rochester
Allison L. Abbott, Marquette UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Language

eng

Format of Original

8 p.

Publication Date

12-2012

Publisher

Elsevier

Source Publication

Current Biology

Source ISSN

0960-9822

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 cells that function as the defecation pacemaker. Genetic data indicate that mir-240/786 functions upstream of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP₃) receptor. Through rescue analysis, it was determined that miR-786 functions to regulate defecation. Furthermore, we identified elo-2, a fatty-acid elongase with a known role in defecation cycling, as a direct target for miR-786. We propose that the regulation of palmitate levels through repression of elo-2 activity is the likely mechanistic link to defecation.

Conclusions: Together, these data indicate that miR-786 confers pacemaker status on posterior intestinal cells for the control of calcium-wave initiation through the regulation of elo-2 and, subsequently, palmitate levels. We propose that a difference in fatty-acid composition in the posterior intestinal cells may alter the activities of membrane proteins, such as IP₃-receptor or TRPM channels, that control pacemaker activity in the C. elegans intestine.

Comments

Accepted version. Current Biology, Vol. 22, No. 23 (December 2012): 2213–2220. DOI. © 2012 Elsevier (Cell Press). Used with permission.

Recommended Citation

Kemp, Benedict J.; Allman, Erik; Immerman, Lois; Mohnen, Megan; Peters, Maureen A.; Nerhke, Keith; and Abbott, Allison L., "miR-786 Regulation of a Fatty-Acid Elongase Contributes to Rhythmic Calcium-Wave Initiation in C. elegans" (2012). Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications. 126.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/bio_fac/126