The simple nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, possesses the most extensive known gene family of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR)-like subunits. Whilst all show greatest similarity with nAChR subunits of both invertebrates and vertebrates, phylogenetic analysis suggests that just over half of these (32) may represent other members of the cys-loop ligand-gated ion channel superfamily. We have introduced a novel nomenclature system for these "Orphan" subunits, designating them as lgc genes (ligand-gated ion channels of the cys-loop superfamily), which can also be applied in future to unnamed and uncharacterised members of the cys-loop ligand-gated ion channel superfamily. We present here the resulting updated version of the C. elegans nAChR gene family and related ligand-gated ion channel genes.

中文翻译：

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线虫秀丽隐杆线虫的烟碱型乙酰胆碱受体基因家族：命名法的更新。

简单的线虫，秀丽隐杆线虫，拥有已知最广泛的烟碱乙酰胆碱受体 (nAChR) 样亚基基因家族。虽然它们都与无脊椎动物和脊椎动物的 nAChR 亚基具有最大的相似性，但系统发育分析表明，这些 (32) 中的一半以上可能代表 cys-loop 配体门控离子通道超家族的其他成员。我们为这些“孤儿”亚基引入了一种新的命名系统，将它们命名为 lgc 基因（cys-loop 超家族的配体门控离子通道），将来也可以应用于未命名和未表征的 cys-loop 成员配体门控离子通道超家族。我们在这里展示了 C. elegans nAChR 基因家族和相关配体门控离子通道基因的更新版本。