Mutations in the unc-41 Gene Cause Elevation of Acetylcholine Levels

Abstract: Mutations in the Caenorhabditis elegans unc-41 gene result in an allele-dependent elevation of acetylcholine content. Eight recessive alleles ( cn252, e268, e399, e650, e1175, e1199, e1294, and e870 ) lead to phenotypes including uncoordinated locomotion, slow growth, a small mature body, and resistance to the acetylcholinesterase inhibitors as well as the elevation of acetylcholine content. The remaining two alleles, e554 and e1162 , exhibit normal acetylcholine levels but display the short-body phenotype in a semidominant way. To determine the localization of the elevated acetylcholine content, a method for the isolation of synaptic vesicles from C. elegans was established. The elevation of acetylcholine content in the unc-41 mutants is accompanied by the accumulation of synaptic vesicles. We propose that at least one function of the unc-41 gene relates to the release of neurotransmitters.