Avermectins and milbemycins are believed to exert their anthelmintic effects by binding to glutamate-gated chloride channels (GluCls). Two GluCl subunits have been localized in the pharynx in Caenorhabditis elegans , and the pharynx has been implicated as a major target for avermectins in C. elegans. The HcGluCla gene encoding an alpha-type GluCl subunit has been cloned from Haemonchus contortus previously, however the localization of this gene has not been identified. To begin to investigate the expression site of this HcGluCla gene we have isolated a 1439bp 5'-flanking region and the entire genomic organization of this gene. The 1439bp 5'-flanking region and the first exon and intron and part of the second exon of the HcGluCla gene were fused to the green fluorescent protein reporter gene and microinjected into the gonads of C. elegans. After microinjection of the construct into C. elegans, four stable transformed lines were established and assayed for GFP expression. The transformed animals exhibited fluorescence in the two pairs of MC and M2 pharyngeal neurons, but no expression was detected in the muscle cells. This result provides evidence that the pharynx is a major site for the mode of action of avermectins and milbemycins on parasitic nematodes, such as H. contortus.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.80320 |
| Date | January 2003 |
| Creators | Liu, Jie, 1970- |
| Contributors | Prichard, Roger (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Institute of Parasitology.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 002095394, proquestno: AAIMQ98689, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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