Genetic suppressor of che-3 serotonin response defects

che-3 is a cytosolic dynein heavy chain within Caenorhabditis elegans. This motor protein acts in intraflagellar transport and maintains structural integrity of sensory cilia structures. When mutated at the che-3 genetic locus, the mutants show progressive developmental defects of the chemosensory cilia. The che-3 mutants lose olfactory abilities and are unable to detect and respond to factors in their environment. Therefore, che-3 cannot respond to serotonin stimulation properly. Normally, wild type (N2) C. elegans produce more eggs in the presence of serotonin. Our goal was to test the relationship between serotonin and the olfactory senses within C.elegans. It is not known why che-3 is less responsive to serotonin. To address this, we mutagenized che-3 and found a suppressor that recovers the mutant’s response to serotonin. We created various trials to test a che-3 mutant suppressor that produces more eggs in the presence of serotonin than the wild type. The mutagenized che-3 were bred to yield the recessive F2 generation and placed in serotonin solutions to observe the number of eggs produced. The experiment was repeated many times to yield a consistent outcome. The results that were observed in che-3 mutants, compared to the wild type, produced more eggs in the presence of serotonin when the suppressing mutation occurred. In the future, further testing of che-3 mutants could aid in our understanding of the human response to serotonin and the effects of serotonin uptake within human chemosensory structures in the brain.