Regulation of synaptic transmission by RAB-3 and RAB-27 in Caenorhabditis elegans

Mol Biol Cell. 2006 Jun;17(6):2617-25. doi: 10.1091/mbc.e05-12-1170. Epub 2006 Mar 29.

Abstract

Rab small GTPases are involved in the transport of vesicles between different membranous organelles. RAB-3 is an exocytic Rab that plays a modulatory role in synaptic transmission. Unexpectedly, mutations in the Caenorhabditis elegans RAB-3 exchange factor homologue, aex-3, cause a more severe synaptic transmission defect as well as a defecation defect not seen in rab-3 mutants. We hypothesized that AEX-3 may regulate a second Rab that regulates these processes with RAB-3. We found that AEX-3 regulates another exocytic Rab, RAB-27. Here, we show that C. elegans RAB-27 is localized to synapse-rich regions pan-neuronally and is also expressed in intestinal cells. We identify aex-6 alleles as containing mutations in rab-27. Interestingly, aex-6 mutants exhibit the same defecation defect as aex-3 mutants. aex-6; rab-3 double mutants have behavioral and pharmacological defects similar to aex-3 mutants. In addition, we demonstrate that RBF-1 (rabphilin) is an effector of RAB-27. Therefore, our work demonstrates that AEX-3 regulates both RAB-3 and RAB-27, that both RAB-3 and RAB-27 regulate synaptic transmission, and that RAB-27 potentially acts through its effector RBF-1 to promote soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) function.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified
  • Base Sequence
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / growth & development
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / physiology*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • DNA Primers
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Guanosine Triphosphate / metabolism
  • Mutation
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • SNARE Proteins / metabolism
  • Synaptic Transmission / physiology*
  • rab GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • rab3 GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
  • DNA Primers
  • SNARE Proteins
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Guanosine Triphosphate
  • rab GTP-Binding Proteins
  • rab3 GTP-Binding Proteins