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: Postembryonically born (AVM and PVM are generated at about 9 hours after hatching at 20°C, about 19 hours after egg deposition). Posterior ventral microtubule cell. 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/Neuropeptide:
Innexin expression:
- INX-7
- UNC-9
(Altun et al., 2009)
Receptor expression:
- GAR-1; G protein-linked muscarinic acetylcholine receptor
- MEC-2; stomatin-like protein required to sense touch, part of a mechanotransduction channel complex that senses low-threshold stimuli (gentle body touch)
- MEC-4; mechanically gated ion channel subunit; amiloride-sensitive Na⁺ channel (ASC) protein (DEG/ENaC subunit). - part of a mechanosensory transduction channel - core component of a mechanosensory transduction channel that senses low-threshold stimuli (gentle body touch)
- MEC-6; part of the degenerin/epithelial Na⁺channel complex - interacts physically with the MEC-4 degenerin ion channel
- MEC-9; provides an extracellular attachment point for the mechanosensory channels in touch cells
- MEC-10; mechanically gated ion channel subunit; amiloride-sensitive Na⁺ channel (ASC) protein (DEG/ENaC subunit). - part of a mechanosensory transduction channel - core component of a mechanosensory transduction channel that senses low-threshold stimuli (gentle body touch)
- UNC-8; a DEG/ENaC family member homologous to subunits of a candidate mechanically-gated, cation-specific ion channel
- PDFR-1; pigment dispersing factor (PDF-1) receptor
(Wormbase; Barrios et al., 2012; Altun, 2011; Chelur et al., 2002; Lee et al., 2000; Tavernarakis et al., 1997; Du et al., 1996; Lai et al., 1996; Huang and Chalfie, 1994)
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.