Type: Sensory neuron (mechanosensory)
In MoW: PVM
Male Wiring Project: PVM
In Wormbase: PVM
Lineage: QL paa
Location: Lateral. Left side of the posterior half of the body.
Description: Posterior ventral microtubule cell, generated postembryonically (AVM and PVM are generated at about 9 hours after hatching at 20°C, about 19 hours after egg deposition.). In the L1 stage, PVM extends a process that first grows ventrally along a commissure on the left side of the posterior body and then turns anteriorly when it reaches the ventral nerve cord (VNC). Within VNC the PVM process runs anteriorly on the ventral side adjacent to the cuticle. PVM is an unbranched unipolar neuron.
Neurotransmitter:
Function: PVM is ultrastructurally very similar to the other touch cells, and its differentiation is controlled by the same genetic pathway that controls differentiation of the other five touch receptor neurons. However, PVM does not mediate a locomotory response to gentle touch (Chalfie and Sulston, 1981) and does not appear to have a critical role in touch sensitivity (for discussion see Kaplan and Driscoll, 1997; Goodman, 2006). It is postulated to be a stretch receptor.
Receptor Expression: Expresses G protein-linked acetylcholine receptor, GAR-1 (Lee et al., 2000). Expresses MEC-2 (stomatin-like), MEC-4 (degenerin), MEC-10 (degenerin) which comprise part of a mechanosensory transduction channel (Huang and Chalfie, 1994; Lai et al., 1996). Expresses MEC-9 which is suggested to provide an extracellular attachment point for the mechanosensory channels in touch cells (Du et al., 1996) and MEC-6 which is part of the degenerin/epithelial Na+ channel complex (Chelur et al., 2002). Expresses UNC-8, a DEG/ENaC family member homologous to subunits of a candidate mechanically gated ion channel (Tavernarakis et al., 1997).