{"id":{"repo_id":"uoit","oai_identifier":"oai:ontariotechu.scholaris.ca:10155/108"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/uoit/oai:ontariotechu.scholaris.ca:10155/108","repository":{"repo_id":"uoit","name":"Ontario Institute of Technology","base_url":"https://ontariotechu.scholaris.ca/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"The Pharmacological Characterization of Hco-UNC-49, a GABA-gated Chloride Channel from the Parasitic Nematode Haemonchus contortus","abstract":"Compared to mammals, nematodes appear to exhibit a unique GABAergic nervous system. Haemonchus controtus is a parasitic nematode that infects ruminants worldwide. Hco-UNC-49 is a H. contortus GABA-gated chloride channel and is an orthologue to the UNC-49 channel from the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Previous research by our group has shown that while the UNC-49 channels from the two nematodes share similar sequence homology they do not share identical sensitivity to GABA. To further investigate the characteristics of the Hco-UNC-49 channel, this study tested the effects of various modulators, insecticides and anti-parasitic drugs on channel function. Most notably, the molecules penicillin G, propofol and pregnenolone sulfate all had similar effects on Hco-UNC-49 as reported previously for Cel-UNC-49. On the other hand, Hco-UNC-49 appears to be less sensitive to picrotoxin inhibition compared to what has been reported for Cel-UNC-49. Novel effects of a number of anthelmintics were also observed. For example, the anthelmintics ivermectin and moxidectin both enhanced Hco-UNC-49 GABA responses, while piperazine was able to directly activate Hco-UNC-49 at high concentrations. These results suggest that Hco-UNC-49 is likely an in vivo target for these anthelmintics.","abstract_html":"Compared to mammals, nematodes appear to exhibit a unique GABAergic nervous system. Haemonchus controtus is a parasitic nematode that infects ruminants worldwide. Hco-UNC-49 is a H. contortus GABA-gated chloride channel and is an orthologue to the UNC-49 channel from the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Previous research by our group has shown that while the UNC-49 channels from the two nematodes share similar sequence homology they do not share identical sensitivity to GABA. To further investigate the characteristics of the Hco-UNC-49 channel, this study tested the effects of various modulators, insecticides and anti-parasitic drugs on channel function. Most notably, the molecules penicillin G, propofol and pregnenolone sulfate all had similar effects on Hco-UNC-49 as reported previously for Cel-UNC-49. On the other hand, Hco-UNC-49 appears to be less sensitive to picrotoxin inhibition compared to what has been reported for Cel-UNC-49. Novel effects of a number of anthelmintics were also observed. For example, the anthelmintics ivermectin and moxidectin both enhanced Hco-UNC-49 GABA responses, while piperazine was able to directly activate Hco-UNC-49 at high concentrations. These results suggest that Hco-UNC-49 is likely an in vivo target for these anthelmintics.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Brown, David"],"institution":"University of Ontario Institute of Technology","degree_name":"Master of Science (MSc)","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Applied Bioscience","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Forrester, Sean"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2010,"date_issued":"2010-08-01","date_published":"2010-08-01","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:35:28Z","subjects":["H. contortus","GABA-A pharmacology,","UNC-49","Anthelmintics","Insecticides","Channel modulation"],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10155/108","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Forrester, Sean"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Brown, David"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2010-10-14T15:33:26Z","2022-03-29T17:06:30Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2010-10-14T15:33:26Z","2022-03-29T17:06:30Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2010-08-01"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Applied Bioscience"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MSc)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["University of Ontario Institute of Technology"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["H. contortus","GABA-A pharmacology,","UNC-49","Anthelmintics","Insecticides","Channel modulation"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10155/108"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Compared to mammals, nematodes appear to exhibit a unique GABAergic nervous system. Haemonchus controtus is a parasitic nematode that infects ruminants worldwide. Hco-UNC-49 is a H. contortus GABA-gated chloride channel and is an orthologue to the UNC-49 channel from the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Previous research by our group has shown that while the UNC-49 channels from the two nematodes share similar sequence homology they do not share identical sensitivity to GABA. To further investigate the characteristics of the Hco-UNC-49 channel, this study tested the effects of various modulators, insecticides and anti-parasitic drugs on channel function. Most notably, the molecules penicillin G, propofol and pregnenolone sulfate all had similar effects on Hco-UNC-49 as reported previously for Cel-UNC-49. On the other hand, Hco-UNC-49 appears to be less sensitive to picrotoxin inhibition compared to what has been reported for Cel-UNC-49. Novel effects of a number of anthelmintics were also observed. For example, the anthelmintics ivermectin and moxidectin both enhanced Hco-UNC-49 GABA responses, while piperazine was able to directly activate Hco-UNC-49 at high concentrations. These results suggest that Hco-UNC-49 is likely an in vivo target for these anthelmintics."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Pharmacological Characterization of Hco-UNC-49, a GABA-gated Chloride Channel from the Parasitic Nematode Haemonchus contortus"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Forrester, Sean"],"dc:creator":["Brown, David"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2010-10-14T15:33:26Z","2022-03-29T17:06:30Z"],"dc:date.available":["2010-10-14T15:33:26Z","2022-03-29T17:06:30Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2010-08-01"],"dc:description.abstract":["Compared to mammals, nematodes appear to exhibit a unique GABAergic nervous system. Haemonchus controtus is a parasitic nematode that infects ruminants worldwide. Hco-UNC-49 is a H. contortus GABA-gated chloride channel and is an orthologue to the UNC-49 channel from the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Previous research by our group has shown that while the UNC-49 channels from the two nematodes share similar sequence homology they do not share identical sensitivity to GABA. To further investigate the characteristics of the Hco-UNC-49 channel, this study tested the effects of various modulators, insecticides and anti-parasitic drugs on channel function. Most notably, the molecules penicillin G, propofol and pregnenolone sulfate all had similar effects on Hco-UNC-49 as reported previously for Cel-UNC-49. On the other hand, Hco-UNC-49 appears to be less sensitive to picrotoxin inhibition compared to what has been reported for Cel-UNC-49. Novel effects of a number of anthelmintics were also observed. For example, the anthelmintics ivermectin and moxidectin both enhanced Hco-UNC-49 GABA responses, while piperazine was able to directly activate Hco-UNC-49 at high concentrations. These results suggest that Hco-UNC-49 is likely an in vivo target for these anthelmintics."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10155/108"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:subject":["H. contortus","GABA-A pharmacology,","UNC-49","Anthelmintics","Insecticides","Channel modulation"],"dc:title":["The Pharmacological Characterization of Hco-UNC-49, a GABA-gated Chloride Channel from the Parasitic Nematode Haemonchus contortus"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Applied Bioscience"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MSc)"],"thesis:institution_name":["University of Ontario Institute of Technology"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:35:28Z"}