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Báo cáo khoa học: Molecular and genetic characterization of osmosensing and signal transduction in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Osmotic homeostasis is a fundamental requirement for life. In general, the effector mechanisms that mediate cellular and extracellular osmoregulation in animals are reasonably well defined. However, at the molecular level, little is known about how animals detect osmotic and ionic perturbations and transduce them into regulatory responses. | MINIREVIEW Molecular and genetic characterization of osmosensing and signal transduction in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans Keith P. Choe and Kevin Strange Departments of Anesthesiology Pharmacology and Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Vanderbilt University Nashville TN USA Keywords mechanosensing osmoregulation osmotic stress organic osmolytes Ste20 kinases TRP channels WNK kinases Correspondence K. Strange Vanderbilt University Medical Center T-4202 MedicalCenter North Nashville TN 37232-2520 USA Fax 1 615 343 3916 E-mail kevin.strange@vanderbilt.edu Received 2 July 2007 accepted 30 August 2007 doi 10.1111 j.1742-4658.2007.06098.x Osmotic homeostasis is a fundamental requirement for life. In general the effector mechanisms that mediate cellular and extracellular osmoregulation in animals are reasonably well defined. However at the molecular level little is known about how animals detect osmotic and ionic perturbations and transduce them into regulatory responses. The nematode Caenorhabd-itis elegans provides numerous powerful experimental advantages for defining the genes and integrated gene networks that underlie basic biological processes. These advantages include a fully sequenced and well-annotated genome forward and reverse genetic and molecular tractability and a relatively simple anatomy. C. elegans normally inhabits soil environments where it is exposed to repeated osmotic stress. In the laboratory nematodes readily acclimate to and recover from extremes of hypertonicity. We review recent progress in defining the molecular mechanisms that underlie osmosensing and associated signal transduction in C. elegans. Some of these mechanisms are now known to be highly conserved. Therefore studies of osmosensing in nematodes have provided and will undoubtedly continue to provide new insights into similar processes in more complex organisms including mammals. Introduction Regulation of intracellular and extracellular solute and water balance is a fundamental