Genes

Gene

Public Gene Name: ser-4
Sequence Name: Y22D7AR.13
WB ID: WBGene00004779
Description: ser-4 encodes an ortholog of mammalian 5-HT1 metabotropic serotonin receptors; SER-4 is required for normal inhibition of movement by 5-HT, with ser-4 mutants being hyperactive; SER-4 is partly required for male tail curling, with ser-4 mutants showing reduced curling in exogenous 5-HT; SER-4 is dispensable for the stimulation of egg-laying by 5-HT and by the uptake inhibitor fluoxetine; SER-4 may actually inhibit egg-laying, since egg-laying ser-4 mutants are moderately hypersensitive to 5-HT, and mutant ser-4 hermaphrodites are partly depleted of eggs, suggesting that their egg-laying is weakly constitutive; however, SER-4 is required for stimulation of egg-laying by the tricyclic antidepressant imipramine, suggesting that imipramine drives HSNs to secrete some non-5-HT neurotransmitter which then activates SER-4; SER-4 is expressed in neurons (RIB and RIS, other head, pharyngeal, sublateral, retrovesicular ganglion, PVT, and either DVA or DVC); SER-4 has a low affinity for serotonin (5-HT), and overall pharmacological similarities to mammalian 5-HT1 receptors; SER-4 is probably antagonized by mianserin; heterologously expressed SER-4, when challenged with 5-HT, diminishes intracellular adenylate cyclase activity; LIM-6 is required for normal expression of SER-4 in RIS interneurons.