Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, United States of America.
Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2021 Nov 19;16(11):e0260072. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260072. eCollection 2021.
Neurodevelopmental disorders such as epilepsy and autism have been linked to an imbalance of excitation and inhibition (E/I) in the central nervous system. The simplicity and tractability of C. elegans allows our electroconvulsive seizure (ES) assay to be used as a behavioral readout of the locomotor circuit and neuronal function. C. elegans possess conserved nervous system features such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and GABA receptors in inhibitory neurotransmission, and acetylcholine (Ach) and acetylcholine receptors in excitatory neurotransmission. Our previously published data has shown that decreasing inhibition in the motor circuit, via GABAergic manipulation, will extend the time of locomotor recovery following electroshock. Similarly, mutations in a HECT E3 ubiquitin ligase called EEL-1 leads to impaired GABAergic transmission, E/I imbalance and altered sensitivity to electroshock. Mutations in the human ortholog of EEL-1, called HUWE1, are associated with both syndromic and non-syndromic intellectual disability. Both EEL-1 and its previously established binding protein, OGT-1, are expressed in GABAergic motor neurons, localize to GABAergic presynaptic terminals, and function in parallel to regulate GABA neuron function. In this study, we tested behavioral responses to electroshock in wildtype, ogt-1, eel-1 and ogt-1; eel-1 double mutants. Both ogt-1 and eel-1 null mutants have decreased inhibitory GABAergic neuron function and increased electroshock sensitivity. Consistent with EEL-1 and OGT-1 functioning in parallel pathways, ogt-1; eel-1 double mutants showed enhanced electroshock susceptibility. Expression of OGT-1 in the C. elegans nervous system rescued enhanced electroshock defects in ogt-1; eel-1 double mutants. Application of a GABA agonist, Baclofen, decreased electroshock susceptibility in all animals. Our C. elegans electroconvulsive seizure assay was the first to model a human X-linked Intellectual Disability (XLID) associated with epilepsy and suggests a potential novel role for the OGT-1/EEL-1 complex in seizure susceptibility.
神经发育障碍,如癫痫和自闭症,与中枢神经系统兴奋和抑制(E/I)失衡有关。秀丽隐杆线虫的简单性和可操作性使得我们的电惊厥(ES)测定能够用作运动回路和神经元功能的行为读出。秀丽隐杆线虫具有保守的神经系统特征,如 GABA 和 GABA 受体在抑制性神经传递中,以及乙酰胆碱(Ach)和乙酰胆碱受体在兴奋性神经传递中。我们之前发表的数据表明,通过 GABA 能操作降低运动回路中的抑制作用,将延长电休克后运动恢复的时间。同样,一种称为 EEL-1 的 HECT E3 泛素连接酶的突变导致 GABA 能传递受损、E/I 失衡和对电休克的敏感性改变。EEL-1 的人类同源物 HUWE1 的突变与综合征和非综合征智力障碍有关。EEL-1 及其先前建立的结合蛋白 OGT-1 都在 GABA 能运动神经元中表达,定位于 GABA 能突触前末端,并平行作用以调节 GABA 神经元功能。在这项研究中,我们测试了野生型、ogt-1、eel-1 和 ogt-1;eel-1 双突变体对电休克的行为反应。ogt-1 和 eel-1 缺失突变体均降低了抑制性 GABA 能神经元功能并增加了电休克敏感性。与 EEL-1 和 OGT-1 在平行途径中发挥作用一致,ogt-1;eel-1 双突变体显示出增强的电休克易感性。OGT-1 在秀丽隐杆线虫神经系统中的表达挽救了 ogt-1;eel-1 双突变体的增强电休克缺陷。GABA 激动剂 Baclofen 的应用降低了所有动物的电休克敏感性。我们的秀丽隐杆线虫电惊厥测定法是第一个模拟与癫痫相关的人类 X 连锁智力障碍(XLID)的模型,并表明 OGT-1/EEL-1 复合物在癫痫易感性中具有潜在的新作用。