The transmission of signals across neurons relies on proper release of neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are released from synaptic vesicles after they move down the axon and fuse across the cleft. This vesicle transport depends on the protein kinesin which moves synaptic vesicles down the axon to the synapse for release. The inability to move a vesicle down the axon will be kinesin related since kinesin is linked principally with organelles that travel in the anterograde direction on the axon (Nobutaka). The nematode C. elegans is a model organism for studying these functional defects in neurons because of their similar genome to humans and human disease. Observing C. elegans’s neurotransmission and its defects is optimal for understanding the nervous system in other organisms. In this experiment, strains of C. elegans, NM440, NM1233, and RK001 were
…show more content…
Testing for defects in vesicle fusion and the protein kinesin, we saw that GFP patterns indicated the location of synaptic vesicles and where they were able to flow in the nervous system. NM1233, which was regular S-shaped bodily movement, showed GFP presence throughout the nerve ring, and ventral and dorsal nerve cords (Figure 1B). The two strains, RK001 and NM440, that exhibited movement irregularities showed different GFP presence as well.
The C. elegans strain RK001, had a somewhat similar pattern of GFP as in NM1233, but did not fluoresce as brightly on the dorsal and ventral nerve cords (Figure 1C). The nerve ring was highly visible. The GFP prescence in strain NM440 depicted a different pattern than the other two strains in which the nerve ring was and dorsal nerve cord were barely visible. Nerve cells bodies were observable in the head as tiny circles. A few cell bodies were discernable along the ventral nerve cord, but the line showing vesicle movement along it could not be seen (Figure
Testing for defects in vesicle fusion and the protein kinesin, we saw that GFP patterns indicated the location of synaptic vesicles and where they were able to flow in the nervous system. NM1233, which was regular S-shaped bodily movement, showed GFP presence throughout the nerve ring, and ventral and dorsal nerve cords (Figure 1B). The two strains, RK001 and NM440, that exhibited movement irregularities showed different GFP presence as well.
The C. elegans strain RK001, had a somewhat similar pattern of GFP as in NM1233, but did not fluoresce as brightly on the dorsal and ventral nerve cords (Figure 1C). The nerve ring was highly visible. The GFP prescence in strain NM440 depicted a different pattern than the other two strains in which the nerve ring was and dorsal nerve cord were barely visible. Nerve cells bodies were observable in the head as tiny circles. A few cell bodies were discernable along the ventral nerve cord, but the line showing vesicle movement along it could not be seen (Figure