PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Jamie Kass
AU  - Tija C. Jacob
AU  - Peter Kim
AU  - Joshua M. Kaplan
TI  - The EGL-3 Proprotein Convertase Regulates Mechanosensory Responses of <em>Caenorhabditis elegans</em>
AID  - 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.21-23-09265.2001
DP  - 2001 Dec 01
TA  - The Journal of Neuroscience
PG  - 9265--9272
VI  - 21
IP  - 23
4099  - http://www.jneurosci.org/content/21/23/9265.short
4100  - http://www.jneurosci.org/content/21/23/9265.full
SO  - J. Neurosci.2001 Dec 01; 21
AB  - Neuroactive peptides are packaged as proproteins into dense core vesicles or secretory granules, where they are cleaved at dibasic residues by copackaged proprotein convertases. We show here that theCaenorhabditis elegans egl-3 gene encodes a protein that is 57% identical to mouse proprotein convertase type 2 (PC2), and we provide evidence that this convertase regulates mechanosensory responses. Nose touch sensitivity (mediated by ASH sensory neurons) is defective in mutants lacking GLR-1 glutamate receptors (GluRs); however, mutations eliminating theegl-3 PC2 restored nose touch sensitivity toglr-1 GluR mutants. By contrast, body touch sensitivity (mediated by the touch cells) is greatly diminished inegl-3 PC2 mutants. Taken together, these results suggest that egl-3 PC2-processed peptides normally regulate the responsiveness of C. elegans to mechanical stimuli.