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Cannon KE, Ranasinghe M, Millhouse PW, Roychowdhury A, Dobrunz LE, Foulger SH, Gauntt DM, Anker JN, Bolding M. LITE-1 mediates behavioral responses to X-rays in Caenorhabditis elegans. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1210138. [PMID: 37638310 PMCID: PMC10450342 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1210138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Rapid sensory detection of X-ray stimulation has been documented across a wide variety of species, but few studies have explored the underlying molecular mechanisms. Here we report the discovery of an acute behavioral avoidance response in wild type Caenorhabditis elegans to X-ray stimulation. The endogenous C. elegans UV-photoreceptor protein LITE-1 was found to mediate the locomotory avoidance response. Transgenic expression of LITE-1 in C. elegans muscle cells resulted in paralysis and egg ejection responses to X-ray stimulation, demonstrating that ectopic expression of LITE-1 can confer X-ray sensitivity to otherwise X-ray insensitive cells. This work represents the first demonstration of rapid X-ray based genetically targeted (X-genetic) manipulation of cellular electrical activity in intact behaving animals. Our findings suggest that LITE-1 has strong potential for use in this minimally invasive form of neuromodulation to transduce transcranial X-ray signals for precise manipulation of neural activity in mammals, bypassing the need for invasive surgical implants to deliver stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelli E. Cannon
- Department of Vision Sciences, School of Optometry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
- Department of Neurobiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
- Department of Radiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | | | - Paul W. Millhouse
- Department of Chemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States
| | - Ayona Roychowdhury
- Department of Radiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Lynn E. Dobrunz
- Department of Neurobiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Stephen H. Foulger
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States
| | - David M. Gauntt
- Department of Radiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Jeffrey N. Anker
- Department of Chemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States
| | - Mark Bolding
- Department of Radiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
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Mantraratnam V, Bonnet J, Rowe C, Janko D, Bolding M. X-ray perception: Animal studies of sensory and behavioral responses to X-rays. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:917273. [PMID: 36052341 PMCID: PMC9426237 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.917273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Since their discovery in 1895, many studies have been conducted to understand the effect of X-rays on neural function and behavior in animals. These studies examined a range of acute and chronic effects, and a subset of studies has attempted to determine if X-rays can produce any sensory responses. Here we review literature on animal behavioral responses to X-rays from 1895 until 2021 to assess the evidence for detection of X-rays by sensory receptors in animals. We focus on the changes in appetitive and consummatory behavior, radiotaxis, behavioral arousal, and olfactory responses to X-rays that have been reported in the literature. Taken together, the reviewed literature provides a large body of evidence that X-rays can induce sensory responses in a wide variety of animals and also suggests that these responses are mediated by known sensory receptors. Furthermore, we postulate the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the most biologically active byproduct of X-rays, as a key mediator of sensory receptor responses to X-rays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaishnavi Mantraratnam
- Department of Radiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Jorge Bonnet
- Department of Radiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Caleb Rowe
- Department of Radiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Daniel Janko
- Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Mark Bolding
- Department of Radiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
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