Disruption of a Neuropeptide Gene, flp-1 , Causes Multiple Behavioral Defects in Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract

Neuropeptides serve as important signaling molecules in the nervous system. The FMRFamide (Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-amide)–related neuropeptide gene family in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is composed of at least 18 genes that may encode 53 distinct FMRFamide-related peptides. Disruption of one of these genes, flp-1 , causes numerous behavioral defects, including uncoordination, hyperactivity, and insensitivity to high osmolarity. Conversely, overexpression of flp-1 results in the reciprocal phenotypes. On the basis of epistasis analysis, flp-1 gene products appear to signal upstream of a G protein–coupled second messenger system. These results demonstrate that varying the levels of FLP-1 neuropeptides can profoundly affect behavior and that members of this large neuropeptide gene family are not functionally redundant in C. elegans .