The study of dauer formation in C. elegans has been instrumental in our understanding of both the insulin and TGFB signaling pathways. It is my intent to use C. elegans to identify neuronal signaling molecules involved in the regulation of these neuroendocrine outputs. Preliminary experiments have identified cyclic GMP and cyclic GMP regulated ion channels as being important for regulation of dauer formation. Here I present additional genetic and genomic experiments which aim to uncover the mechanism(s) of cGMP and CNG channel regulation of neuroendocrine outputs in the genetic model organism C. elegans. Given the prominent role that ion-channels play in signal processing it is not surprising that many inherited human diseases are the results of mutations in channel genes (channelopathies). It is my hope that these studies will unveil the identity and function of additional evolutionarily conserved neuronal signaling molecules that may increase our understanding of the pathologies of these diseases.
