RESUMO
Serotonin reduces the behavior tolerance of Caenorhabditis elegans of the N2 wild-type strain (swimming induced by the mechanical stimulus) to a temperature of 36 degrees C. The sensitivity to the serotonin influence on the behavior thermotolerance remains intact in strains with null mutations of mod-1 (ok103) and ser-1 (ok345) serotonin receptor genes, and is almost completely lost in the ser-4 (ok512) strain with null mutation in the gene of the SER-4 serotonin receptor, which is a homologue of 5-HT1 mammalian serotonin receptor. In addition, nematodes of the ser-4 (ok512) strain have high behavior thermotolerance in the absence of the exogenous serotonin compared to the N2 strain. These data indicate the involvement of the ser-4 gene in the serotonin regulation of the tolerance of C. elegance nervous system functions to hyperthermia.
