1
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Ow MC, Nishiguchi MA, Dar AR, Butcher RA, Hall SE. RNAi-dependent expression of sperm genes in ADL chemosensory neurons is required for olfactory responses in Caenorhabditis elegans. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 11:1396587. [PMID: 39055986 PMCID: PMC11269235 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1396587] [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: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Environmental conditions experienced early in the life of an animal can result in gene expression changes later in its life history. We have previously shown that C. elegans animals that experienced the developmentally arrested and stress resistant dauer stage (postdauers) retain a cellular memory of early-life stress that manifests during adulthood as genome-wide changes in gene expression, chromatin states, and altered life history traits. One consequence of developmental reprogramming in C. elegans postdauer adults is the downregulation of osm-9 TRPV channel gene expression in the ADL chemosensory neurons resulting in reduced avoidance to a pheromone component, ascr#3. This altered response to ascr#3 requires the principal effector of the somatic nuclear RNAi pathway, the Argonaute (AGO) NRDE-3. To investigate the role of the somatic nuclear RNAi pathway in regulating the developmental reprogramming of ADL due to early-life stress, we profiled the mRNA transcriptome of control and postdauer ADL in wild-type and nrde-3 mutant adults. We found 711 differentially expressed (DE) genes between control and postdauer ADL neurons, 90% of which are dependent upon NRDE-3. Additionally, we identified a conserved sequence that is enriched in the upstream regulatory sequences of the NRDE-3-dependent differentially expressed genes. Surprisingly, 214 of the ADL DE genes are considered "germline-expressed", including 21 genes encoding the Major Sperm Proteins and two genes encoding the sperm-specific PP1 phosphatases, GSP-3 and GSP-4. Loss of function mutations in gsp-3 resulted in both aberrant avoidance and attraction behaviors. We also show that an AGO pseudogene, Y49F6A.1 (wago-11), is expressed in ADL and is required for ascr#3 avoidance. Overall, our results suggest that small RNAs and reproductive genes program the ADL mRNA transcriptome during their developmental history and highlight a nexus between neuronal and reproductive networks in calibrating animal neuroplasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria C. Ow
- Biology Department, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, United States
| | | | - Abdul Rouf Dar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Rebecca A. Butcher
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Sarah E. Hall
- Biology Department, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, United States
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2
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Yang H, Lee D, Kim H, Cook DE, Paik YK, Andersen EC, Lee J. Glial expression of a steroidogenic enzyme underlies natural variation in hitchhiking behavior. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2320796121. [PMID: 38959036 PMCID: PMC11252821 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2320796121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Phoresy is an interspecies interaction that facilitates spatial dispersal by attaching to a more mobile species. Hitchhiking species have evolved specific traits for physical contact and successful phoresy, but the regulatory mechanisms involved in such traits and their evolution are largely unexplored. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans displays a hitchhiking behavior known as nictation during its stress-induced developmental stage. Dauer-specific nictation behavior has an important role in natural C. elegans populations, which experience boom-and-bust population dynamics. In this study, we investigated the nictation behavior of 137 wild C. elegans strains sampled throughout the world. We identified species-wide natural variation in nictation and performed a genome-wide association mapping. We show that the variants in the promoter of nta-1, encoding a putative steroidogenic enzyme, underlie differences in nictation. This difference is due to the changes in nta-1 expression in glial cells, which implies that glial steroid metabolism regulates phoretic behavior. Population genetic analysis and geographic distribution patterns suggest that balancing selection maintained two nta-1 haplotypes that existed in ancestral C. elegans populations. Our findings contribute to further understanding of the molecular mechanism of species interaction and the maintenance of genetic diversity within natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heeseung Yang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Daehan Lee
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL60208
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Heekyeong Kim
- Yonsei Proteome Research Center, Yonsei University, Seoul03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Daniel E. Cook
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL60208
| | - Young-Ki Paik
- Yonsei Proteome Research Center, Yonsei University, Seoul03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Erik C. Andersen
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL60208
| | - Junho Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul08826, Republic of Korea
- Research Institute of Basic Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul08826, Republic of Korea
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3
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Tsai SH, Wu YC, Palomino DF, Schroeder FC, Pan CL. Peripheral peroxisomal β-oxidation engages neuronal serotonin signaling to drive stress-induced aversive memory in C. elegans. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113996. [PMID: 38520690 PMCID: PMC11087011 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Physiological dysfunction confers negative valence to coincidental sensory cues to induce the formation of aversive associative memory. How peripheral tissue stress engages neuromodulatory mechanisms to form aversive memory is poorly understood. Here, we show that in the nematode C. elegans, mitochondrial disruption induces aversive memory through peroxisomal β-oxidation genes in non-neural tissues, including pmp-4/very-long-chain fatty acid transporter, dhs-28/3-hydroxylacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, and daf-22/3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase. Upregulation of peroxisomal β-oxidation genes under mitochondrial stress requires the nuclear hormone receptor NHR-49. Importantly, the memory-promoting function of peroxisomal β-oxidation is independent of its canonical role in pheromone production. Peripheral signals derived from the peroxisomes target NSM, a critical neuron for memory formation under stress, to upregulate serotonin synthesis and remodel evoked responses to sensory cues. Our genetic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic approaches establish peroxisomal lipid signaling as a crucial mechanism that connects peripheral mitochondrial stress to central serotonin neuromodulation in aversive memory formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shang-Heng Tsai
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10002, Taiwan; Center for Precision Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chun Wu
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10002, Taiwan; Center for Precision Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
| | - Diana Fajardo Palomino
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Frank C Schroeder
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Chun-Liang Pan
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10002, Taiwan.
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Emmons SW. FUNCTIONS OF C. ELEGANS NEURONS FROM SYNAPTIC CONNECTIVITY. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.08.584145. [PMID: 38562755 PMCID: PMC10983851 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.08.584145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Despite decades of research on the C. elegans nervous system based on an anatomical description of synaptic connectivity, the circuits underlying behavior remain incompletely described and the functions of many neurons are still unknown. Updated and more complete chemical and gap junction connectomes of both adult sexes covering the entire animal including the muscle end organ have become available recently. Here these are analyzed to gain insight into the overall structure of the connectivity network and to suggest functions of individual neuron classes. Modularity analysis divides the connectome graph into ten communities that can be correlated with broad categories of behavior. A significant role of the body wall musculature end organ is emphasized as both a site of significant information convergence and as a source of sensory input in a feedback loop. Convergence of pathways for multisensory integration occurs throughout the network - most interneurons have similar indegrees and outdegrees and hence disperse information as much as they aggregate it. New insights include description of a set of high degree interneurons connected by many gap junctions running through the ventral cord that may represent a previously unrecognized locus of information processing. There is an apparent mechanosensory and proprioceptive field covering the entire body formed by connectivity of the many mechanosensory neurons of multiple types to two interneurons with output connections across the nervous system. Several additional significant, previously unrecognized circuits and pathways are uncovered, some involving unstudied neurons. The insights are valuable for guiding theoretical investigation of network properties as well as experimental studies of the functions of individual neurons, groups of neurons, and circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott W Emmons
- Department of Genetics and Dominic P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
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5
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Banerjee N, Gang SS, Castelletto ML, Ruiz F, Hallem EA. Carbon dioxide shapes parasite-host interactions in a human-infective nematode. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.28.587273. [PMID: 38585813 PMCID: PMC10996684 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.28.587273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Skin-penetrating nematodes infect nearly one billion people worldwide. The developmentally arrested infective larvae (iL3s) seek out hosts, invade hosts via skin penetration, and resume development inside the host in a process called activation. Activated infective larvae (iL3as) traverse the host body, ending up as parasitic adults in the small intestine. Skin-penetrating nematodes respond to many chemosensory cues, but how chemosensation contributes to host seeking, intra-host development, and intra-host navigation - three crucial steps of the parasite-host interaction - remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate the role of carbon dioxide (CO2) in promoting parasite-host interactions in the human-infective threadworm Strongyloides stercoralis. We show that S. stercoralis exhibits life-stage-specific preferences for CO2: iL3s are repelled, non-infective larvae and adults are neutral, and iL3as are attracted. CO2 repulsion in iL3s may prime them for host seeking by stimulating dispersal from host feces, while CO2 attraction in iL3as may direct worms toward high-CO2 areas of the body such as the lungs and intestine. We also identify sensory neurons that detect CO2; these neurons are depolarized by CO2 in iL3s and iL3as. In addition, we demonstrate that the receptor guanylate cyclase Ss-GCY-9 is expressed specifically in CO2-sensing neurons and is required for CO2-evoked behavior. Ss-GCY-9 also promotes activation, indicating that a single receptor can mediate both behavioral and physiological responses to CO2. Our results illuminate chemosensory mechanisms that shape the interaction between parasitic nematodes and their human hosts and may aid in the design of novel anthelmintics that target the CO2-sensing pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Navonil Banerjee
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Spencer S. Gang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Michelle L. Castelletto
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Felicitas Ruiz
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Elissa A. Hallem
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Lead contact
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6
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Szczepańska A, Olek K, Kołodziejska K, Yu J, Ibrahim AT, Adamkiewicz L, Schroeder FC, Pokrzywa W, Turek M. Pheromone-based communication influences the production of somatic extracellular vesicles in C. elegans. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2715. [PMID: 38548742 PMCID: PMC10978837 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47016-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are integral to numerous biological processes, yet it is unclear how environmental factors or interactions among individuals within a population affect EV-regulated systems. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the evolutionarily conserved large EVs, known as exophers, are part of a maternal somatic tissue resource management system. Consequently, the offspring of individuals exhibiting active exopher biogenesis (exophergenesis) develop faster. Our research focuses on unraveling the complex inter-tissue and social dynamics that govern exophergenesis. We found that ascr#10, the primary male pheromone, enhances exopher production in hermaphrodites, mediated by the G-protein-coupled receptor STR-173 in ASK sensory neurons. In contrast, pheromone produced by other hermaphrodites, ascr#3, diminishes exophergenesis within the population. This process is regulated via the neuropeptides FLP-8 and FLP-21, which originate from the URX and AQR/PQR/URX neurons, respectively. Our results reveal a regulatory network that controls the production of somatic EV by the nervous system in response to social signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Szczepańska
- Laboratory of Animal Molecular Physiology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Olek
- Laboratory of Protein Metabolism, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Klaudia Kołodziejska
- Laboratory of Animal Molecular Physiology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jingfang Yu
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Abdulrahman Tudu Ibrahim
- Laboratory of Animal Molecular Physiology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
- Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Laura Adamkiewicz
- Laboratory of Animal Molecular Physiology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Frank C Schroeder
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Wojciech Pokrzywa
- Laboratory of Protein Metabolism, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Michał Turek
- Laboratory of Animal Molecular Physiology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
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7
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Otarigho B, Butts AF, Aballay A. Neuronal NPR-15 modulates molecular and behavioral immune responses via the amphid sensory neuron-intestinal axis in C. elegans. eLife 2024; 12:RP90051. [PMID: 38446031 PMCID: PMC10942643 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The survival of hosts during infections relies on their ability to mount effective molecular and behavioral immune responses. Despite extensive research on these defense strategies in various species, including the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, the neural mechanisms underlying their interaction remain poorly understood. Previous studies have highlighted the role of neural G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in regulating both immunity and pathogen avoidance, which is particularly dependent on aerotaxis. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a screen of mutants in neuropeptide receptor family genes. We found that loss-of-function mutations in npr-15 activated immunity while suppressing pathogen avoidance behavior. Through further analysis, NPR-15 was found to regulate immunity by modulating the activity of key transcription factors, namely GATA/ELT-2 and TFEB/HLH-30. Surprisingly, the lack of pathogen avoidance of npr-15 mutant animals was not influenced by oxygen levels. Moreover, our studies revealed that the amphid sensory neuron ASJ is involved in mediating the immune and behavioral responses orchestrated by NPR-15. Additionally, NPR-15 was found to regulate avoidance behavior via the TRPM (transient receptor potential melastatin) gene, GON-2, which may sense the intestinal distension caused by bacterial colonization to elicit pathogen avoidance. Our study contributes to a broader understanding of host defense strategies and mechanisms underlining the interaction between molecular and behavioral immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benson Otarigho
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonUnited States
| | - Anna Frances Butts
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonUnited States
| | - Alejandro Aballay
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonUnited States
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School at UTHealthHoustonUnited States
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8
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Peedikayil-Kurien S, Setty H, Oren-Suissa M. Environmental experiences shape sexually dimorphic neuronal circuits and behaviour. FEBS J 2024; 291:1080-1101. [PMID: 36582142 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Dimorphic traits, shaped by both natural and sexual selection, ensure optimal fitness and survival of the organism. This includes neuronal circuits that are largely affected by different experiences and environmental conditions. Recent evidence suggests that sexual dimorphism of neuronal circuits extends to different levels such as neuronal activity, connectivity and molecular topography that manifest in response to various experiences, including chemical exposures, starvation and stress. In this review, we propose some common principles that govern experience-dependent sexually dimorphic circuits in both vertebrate and invertebrate organisms. While sexually dimorphic neuronal circuits are predetermined, they have to maintain a certain level of fluidity to be adaptive to different experiences. The first layer of dimorphism is at the level of the neuronal circuit, which appears to be dictated by sex-biased transcription factors. This could subsequently lead to differences in the second layer of regulation namely connectivity and synaptic properties. The third regulator of experience-dependent responses is the receptor level, where dimorphic expression patterns determine the primary sensory encoding. We also highlight missing pieces in this field and propose future directions that can shed light onto novel aspects of sexual dimorphism with potential benefits to sex-specific therapeutic approaches. Thus, sexual identity and experience simultaneously determine behaviours that ultimately result in the maximal survival success.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hagar Setty
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Meital Oren-Suissa
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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9
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Li R, Xu Y, Wen X, Chen YH, Wang PZ, Zhao JL, Wu PP, Wu JJ, Liu H, Huang JH, Li SJ, Wu ZX. GCY-20 signaling controls suppression of Caenorhabditis elegans egg laying by moderate cold. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113708. [PMID: 38294902 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Organisms sensing environmental cues and internal states and integrating the sensory information to control fecundity are essential for survival and proliferation. The present study finds that a moderate cold temperature of 11°C reduces egg laying in Caenorhabditis elegans. ASEL and AWC neurons sense the cold via GCY-20 signaling and act antagonistically on egg laying through the ASEL and AWC/AIA/HSN circuits. Upon cold stimulation, ASEL and AWC release glutamate to activate and inhibit AIA interneurons by acting on highly and lowly sensitive ionotropic GLR-2 and GLC-3 receptors, respectively. AIA inhibits HSN motor neuron activity via acetylcholinergic ACR-14 receptor signaling and suppresses egg laying. Thus, ASEL and AWC initiate and reduce the cold suppression of egg laying. ASEL's action on AIA and egg laying dominates AWC's action. The biased opposite actions of these neurons on egg laying provide animals with a precise adaptation of reproductive behavior to environmental temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yu Xu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xin Wen
- College of Life Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Yuan-Hua Chen
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ping-Zhou Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jia-Lu Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Piao-Ping Wu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jing-Jing Wu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jia-Hao Huang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Si-Jia Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zheng-Xing Wu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
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10
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Otarigho B, Butts AF, Aballay A. Neuronal NPR-15 modulates molecular and behavioral immune responses via the amphid sensory neuron-intestinal axis in C. elegans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.07.27.550570. [PMID: 37546751 PMCID: PMC10402133 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.27.550570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
The survival of hosts during infections relies on their ability to mount effective molecular and behavioral immune responses. Despite extensive research on these defense strategies in various species, including the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, the neural mechanisms underlying their interaction remain poorly understood. Previous studies have highlighted the role of neural G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in regulating both immunity and pathogen avoidance, which is particularly dependent on aerotaxis. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a screen of mutants in neuropeptide receptor family genes. We found that loss-of-function mutations in npr-15 activated immunity while suppressing pathogen avoidance behavior. Through further analysis, NPR-15 was found to regulate immunity by modulating the activity of key transcription factors, namely GATA/ELT-2 and TFEB/HLH-30. Surprisingly, the lack of pathogen avoidance of npr-15 mutant animals was not influenced by oxygen levels. Moreover, our studies revealed that the amphid sensory neuron ASJ is involved in mediating the immune and behavioral responses orchestrated by NPR-15. Additionally, NPR-15 was found to regulate avoidance behavior via the TRPM gene, GON-2, which may sense the intestinal distension caused by bacterial colonization to elicit pathogen avoidance. Our study contributes to a broader understanding of host defense strategies and mechanisms underlining the interaction between molecular and behavioral immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benson Otarigho
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Anna Frances Butts
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Alejandro Aballay
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, TX
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11
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Salim C, Batsaikhan E, Kan AK, Chen H, Jee C. Nicotine Motivated Behavior in C. elegans. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1634. [PMID: 38338915 PMCID: PMC10855306 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
To maximize the advantages offered by Caenorhabditis elegans as a high-throughput (HTP) model for nicotine dependence studies, utilizing its well-defined neuroconnectome as a robust platform, and to unravel the genetic basis of nicotine-motivated behaviors, we established the nicotine conditioned cue preference (CCP) paradigm. Nicotine CCP enables the assessment of nicotine preference and seeking, revealing a parallel to fundamental aspects of nicotine-dependent behaviors observed in mammals. We demonstrated that nicotine-elicited cue preference in worms is mediated by nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and requires dopamine for CCP development. Subsequently, we pinpointed nAChR subunits associated with nicotine preference and validated human GWAS candidates linked to nicotine dependence involved in nAChRs. Functional validation involves assessing the loss-of-function strain of the CACNA2D3 ortholog and the knock-out (KO) strain of the CACNA2D2 ortholog, closely related to CACNA2D3 and sharing human smoking phenotypes. Our orthogonal approach substantiates the functional conservation of the α2δ subunit of the calcium channel in nicotine-motivated behavior. Nicotine CCP in C. elegans serves as a potent affirmation of the cross-species functional relevance of GWAS candidate genes involved in nicotine seeking associated with tobacco abuse, providing a streamlined yet comprehensive system for investigating intricate behavioral paradigms within a simplified and reliable framework.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Changhoon Jee
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science and Toxicology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA; (C.S.)
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12
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Abstract
Foraging animals optimize feeding decisions by adjusting both common and rare behavioral patterns. Here, we characterize the relationship between an animal's arousal state and a rare decision to leave a patch of bacterial food. Using long-term tracking and behavioral state classification, we find that food leaving decisions in Caenorhabditis elegans are coupled to arousal states across multiple timescales. Leaving emerges probabilistically over minutes from the high arousal roaming state, but is suppressed during the low arousal dwelling state. Immediately before leaving, animals have a brief acceleration in speed that appears as a characteristic signature of this behavioral motif. Neuromodulatory mutants and optogenetic manipulations that increase roaming have a coupled increase in leaving rates, and similarly acute manipulations that inhibit feeding induce both roaming and leaving. By contrast, inactivating a set of chemosensory neurons that depend on the cGMP-gated transduction channel TAX-4 uncouples roaming and leaving dynamics. In addition, tax-4-expressing sensory neurons promote lawn-leaving behaviors that are elicited by feeding inhibition. Our results indicate that sensory neurons responsive to both internal and external cues play an integrative role in arousal and foraging decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias Scheer
- Lulu and Anthony Wang Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Behavior, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Cornelia I Bargmann
- Lulu and Anthony Wang Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Behavior, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
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13
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Nava S, Palma W, Wan X, Oh JY, Gharib S, Wang H, Revanna JS, Tan M, Zhang M, Liu J, Chen CH, Lee JS, Perry B, Sternberg PW. A cGAL-UAS bipartite expression toolkit for Caenorhabditis elegans sensory neurons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2221680120. [PMID: 38096407 PMCID: PMC10743456 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2221680120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals integrate sensory information from the environment and display various behaviors in response to external stimuli. In Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodites, 33 types of sensory neurons are responsible for chemosensation, olfaction, and mechanosensation. However, the functional roles of all sensory neurons have not been systematically studied due to the lack of facile genetic accessibility. A bipartite cGAL-UAS system has been previously developed to study tissue- or cell-specific functions in C. elegans. Here, we report a toolkit of new cGAL drivers that can facilitate the analysis of a vast majority of the 60 sensory neurons in C. elegans hermaphrodites. We generated 37 sensory neuronal cGAL drivers that drive cGAL expression by cell-specific regulatory sequences or intersection of two distinct regulatory regions with overlapping expression (split cGAL). Most cGAL-drivers exhibit expression in single types of cells. We also constructed 28 UAS effectors that allow expression of proteins to perturb or interrogate sensory neurons of choice. This cGAL-UAS sensory neuron toolkit provides a genetic platform to systematically study the functions of C. elegans sensory neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Nava
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - Wilber Palma
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - Xuan Wan
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - Jun Young Oh
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - Shahla Gharib
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - Han Wang
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - Jasmin S. Revanna
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - Minyi Tan
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - Mark Zhang
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - Jonathan Liu
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - Chun-Hao Chen
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - James S. Lee
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - Barbara Perry
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - Paul W. Sternberg
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
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14
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Cowen MH, Reddy KC, Chalasani SH, Hart MP. Conserved autism-associated genes tune social feeding behavior in C. elegans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.05.570116. [PMID: 38106124 PMCID: PMC10723370 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.05.570116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Animal foraging is an essential and evolutionarily conserved behavior that occurs in social and solitary contexts, but the underlying molecular pathways are not well defined. We discover that conserved autism-associated genes (NRXN1(nrx-1), NLGN3(nlg-1), GRIA1,2,3(glr-1), GRIA2(glr-2), and GLRA2,GABRA3(avr-15)) regulate aggregate feeding in C. elegans, a simple social behavior. NRX-1 functions in chemosensory neurons (ADL and ASH) independently of its postsynaptic partner NLG-1 to regulate social feeding. Glutamate from these neurons is also crucial for aggregate feeding, acting independently of NRX-1 and NLG-1. Compared to solitary counterparts, social animals show faster presynaptic release and more presynaptic release sites in ASH neurons, with only the latter requiring nrx-1. Disruption of these distinct signaling components additively converts behavior from social to solitary. Aggregation induced by circuit activation is also dependent on nrx-1. Collectively, we find that aggregate feeding is tuned by conserved autism-associated genes through complementary synaptic mechanisms, revealing molecular principles driving social feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara H. Cowen
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Autism Spectrum Program of Excellence, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Kirthi C. Reddy
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA
| | | | - Michael P. Hart
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Autism Spectrum Program of Excellence, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
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15
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Hiramatsu F, Lightfoot JW. Kin-recognition and predation shape collective behaviors in the cannibalistic nematode Pristionchus pacificus. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1011056. [PMID: 38096160 PMCID: PMC10721034 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Kin-recognition is observed across diverse species forming an important behavioral adaptation influencing organismal interactions. In many species, the molecular mechanisms involved are difficult to characterize, but in the nematode Pristionchus pacificus molecular components regulating its kin-recognition system have been identified. These determine its predatory behaviors towards other con-specifics which prevents the killing and cannibalization of kin. Importantly, their impact on other interactions including collective behaviors is unknown. Here, we explored a high altitude adapted clade of this species which aggregates abundantly under laboratory conditions, to investigate the influence of the kin-recognition system on their group behaviours. By utilizing pairwise aggregation assays between distinct strains of P. pacificus with differing degrees of genetic relatedness, we observe aggregation between kin but not distantly related strains. In assays between distantly related strains, the aggregation ratio is frequently reduced. Furthermore, abolishing predation behaviors through CRISPR/Cas9 induced mutations in Ppa-nhr-40 result in rival strains successfully aggregating together. Finally, as Caenorhabditis elegans are found naturally occurring with P. pacificus, we also explored aggregation events between these species. Here, aggregates were dominated by P. pacificus with the presence of only a small number of predators proving sufficient to disrupt C. elegans aggregation dynamics. Thus, aggregating strains of P. pacificus preferentially group with kin, revealing competition and nepotism as previously unknown components influencing collective behaviors in nematodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumie Hiramatsu
- Max Planck Research Group Genetics of Behavior, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior–caesar, Bonn, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Brain and Behavior, Bonn, Germany
| | - James W. Lightfoot
- Max Planck Research Group Genetics of Behavior, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior–caesar, Bonn, Germany
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16
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Prakash SJ, Van Auken KM, Hill DP, Sternberg PW. Semantic representation of neural circuit knowledge in Caenorhabditis elegans. Brain Inform 2023; 10:30. [PMID: 37947958 PMCID: PMC10638142 DOI: 10.1186/s40708-023-00208-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In modern biology, new knowledge is generated quickly, making it challenging for researchers to efficiently acquire and synthesise new information from the large volume of primary publications. To address this problem, computational approaches that generate machine-readable representations of scientific findings in the form of knowledge graphs have been developed. These representations can integrate different types of experimental data from multiple papers and biological knowledge bases in a unifying data model, providing a complementary method to manual review for interacting with published knowledge. The Gene Ontology Consortium (GOC) has created a semantic modelling framework that extends individual functional gene annotations to structured descriptions of causal networks representing biological processes (Gene Ontology-Causal Activity Modelling, or GO-CAM). In this study, we explored whether the GO-CAM framework could represent knowledge of the causal relationships between environmental inputs, neural circuits and behavior in the model nematode C. elegans [C. elegans Neural-Circuit Causal Activity Modelling (CeN-CAM)]. We found that, given extensions to several relevant ontologies, a wide variety of author statements from the literature about the neural circuit basis of egg-laying and carbon dioxide (CO2) avoidance behaviors could be faithfully represented with CeN-CAM. Through this process, we were able to generate generic data models for several categories of experimental results. We also discuss how semantic modelling may be used to functionally annotate the C. elegans connectome. Thus, Gene Ontology-based semantic modelling has the potential to support various machine-readable representations of neurobiological knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharan J Prakash
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Kimberly M Van Auken
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - David P Hill
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, 04609, USA
| | - Paul W Sternberg
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA.
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17
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Huang YC, Luo J, Huang W, Baker CM, Gomes MA, Meng B, Byrne AB, Flavell SW. A single neuron in C. elegans orchestrates multiple motor outputs through parallel modes of transmission. Curr Biol 2023; 33:4430-4445.e6. [PMID: 37769660 PMCID: PMC10860333 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.08.088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Animals generate a wide range of highly coordinated motor outputs, which allows them to execute purposeful behaviors. Individual neurons in the circuits that generate behaviors have a remarkable capacity for flexibility as they exhibit multiple axonal projections, transmitter systems, and modes of neural activity. How these multi-functional properties of neurons enable the generation of adaptive behaviors remains unknown. Here, we show that the HSN neuron in C. elegans evokes multiple motor programs over different timescales to enable a suite of behavioral changes during egg laying. Using HSN activity perturbations and in vivo calcium imaging, we show that HSN acutely increases egg laying and locomotion while also biasing the animals toward low-speed dwelling behavior over minutes. The acute effects of HSN on egg laying and high-speed locomotion are mediated by separate sets of HSN transmitters and different HSN axonal compartments. The long-lasting effects on dwelling are mediated in part by HSN release of serotonin, which is taken up and re-released by NSM, another serotonergic neuron class that directly evokes dwelling. Our results show how the multi-functional properties of a single neuron allow it to induce a coordinated suite of behaviors and also reveal that neurons can borrow serotonin from one another to control behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yung-Chi Huang
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jinyue Luo
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Wenjia Huang
- Department of Neurobiology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Casey M Baker
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Matthew A Gomes
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Bohan Meng
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Alexandra B Byrne
- Department of Neurobiology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Steven W Flavell
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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18
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Le E, McCarthy T, Honer M, Curtin CE, Fingerut J, Nelson MD. The neuropeptide receptor npr-38 regulates avoidance and stress-induced sleep in Caenorhabditis elegans. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3155-3168.e9. [PMID: 37419114 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.06.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Although essential and conserved, sleep is not without its challenges that must be overcome; most notably, it renders animals vulnerable to threats in the environment. Infection and injury increase sleep demand, which dampens sensory responsiveness to stimuli, including those responsible for the initial insult. Stress-induced sleep in Caenorhabditis elegans occurs in response to cellular damage following noxious exposures the animals attempted to avoid. Here, we describe a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) encoded by npr-38, which is required for stress-related responses including avoidance, sleep, and arousal. Overexpression of npr-38 shortens the avoidance phase and causes animals to initiate movement quiescence and arouse early. npr-38 functions in the ADL sensory neurons, which express neuropeptides encoded by nlp-50, also required for movement quiescence. npr-38 regulates arousal by acting on the DVA and RIS interneurons. Our work demonstrates that this single GPCR regulates multiple aspects of the stress response by functioning in sensory and sleep interneurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Le
- Department of Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA
| | - Teagan McCarthy
- Department of Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA
| | - Madison Honer
- Department of Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA
| | - Caroline E Curtin
- Department of Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA
| | - Jonathan Fingerut
- Department of Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA
| | - Matthew D Nelson
- Department of Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA.
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19
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Kukhtar D, Fussenegger M. Synthetic biology in multicellular organisms: Opportunities in nematodes. Biotechnol Bioeng 2023. [PMID: 37448225 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic biology has mainly focused on introducing new or altered functionality in single cell systems: primarily bacteria, yeast, or mammalian cells. Here, we describe the extension of synthetic biology to nematodes, in particular the well-studied model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, as a convenient platform for developing applications in a multicellular setting. We review transgenesis techniques for nematodes, as well as the application of synthetic biology principles to construct nematode gene switches and genetic devices to control motility. Finally, we discuss potential applications of engineered nematodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmytro Kukhtar
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Martin Fussenegger
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland
- Faculty of Life Science, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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20
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Yuan H, Yuan W, Duan S, Jiao K, Zhang Q, Lim EG, Chen M, Zhao C, Pan P, Liu X, Song P. Microfluidic-Assisted Caenorhabditis elegans Sorting: Current Status and Future Prospects. CYBORG AND BIONIC SYSTEMS 2023; 4:0011. [PMID: 37287459 PMCID: PMC10243201 DOI: 10.34133/cbsystems.0011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) has been a popular model organism for several decades since its first discovery of the huge research potential for modeling human diseases and genetics. Sorting is an important means of providing stage- or age-synchronized worm populations for many worm-based bioassays. However, conventional manual techniques for C. elegans sorting are tedious and inefficient, and commercial complex object parametric analyzer and sorter is too expensive and bulky for most laboratories. Recently, the development of lab-on-a-chip (microfluidics) technology has greatly facilitated C. elegans studies where large numbers of synchronized worm populations are required and advances of new designs, mechanisms, and automation algorithms. Most previous reviews have focused on the development of microfluidic devices but lacked the summaries and discussion of the biological research demands of C. elegans, and are hard to read for worm researchers. We aim to comprehensively review the up-to-date microfluidic-assisted C. elegans sorting developments from several angles to suit different background researchers, i.e., biologists and engineers. First, we highlighted the microfluidic C. elegans sorting devices' advantages and limitations compared to the conventional commercialized worm sorting tools. Second, to benefit the engineers, we reviewed the current devices from the perspectives of active or passive sorting, sorting strategies, target populations, and sorting criteria. Third, to benefit the biologists, we reviewed the contributions of sorting to biological research. We expect, by providing this comprehensive review, that each researcher from this multidisciplinary community can effectively find the needed information and, in turn, facilitate future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Yuan
- School of Advanced Technology,
Xi'an Jiaotong - Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Wenwen Yuan
- School of Advanced Technology,
Xi'an Jiaotong - Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering,
University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Sixuan Duan
- School of Advanced Technology,
Xi'an Jiaotong - Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering,
University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Keran Jiao
- School of Advanced Technology,
Xi'an Jiaotong - Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
- Department of Chemistry,
Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Quan Zhang
- School of Advanced Technology,
Xi'an Jiaotong - Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Eng Gee Lim
- School of Advanced Technology,
Xi'an Jiaotong - Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering,
University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Min Chen
- School of Advanced Technology,
Xi'an Jiaotong - Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering,
University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Chun Zhao
- School of Advanced Technology,
Xi'an Jiaotong - Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering,
University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Peng Pan
- Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering,
University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Xinyu Liu
- Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering,
University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Pengfei Song
- School of Advanced Technology,
Xi'an Jiaotong - Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering,
University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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21
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Huang YC, Luo J, Huang W, Baker CM, Gomes MA, Byrne AB, Flavell SW. A single neuron in C. elegans orchestrates multiple motor outputs through parallel modes of transmission. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.02.532814. [PMID: 37034579 PMCID: PMC10081309 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.02.532814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Animals generate a wide range of highly coordinated motor outputs, which allows them to execute purposeful behaviors. Individual neuron classes in the circuits that generate behavior have a remarkable capacity for flexibility, as they exhibit multiple axonal projections, transmitter systems, and modes of neural activity. How these multi-functional properties of neurons enable the generation of highly coordinated behaviors remains unknown. Here we show that the HSN neuron in C. elegans evokes multiple motor programs over different timescales to enable a suite of behavioral changes during egg-laying. Using HSN activity perturbations and in vivo calcium imaging, we show that HSN acutely increases egg-laying and locomotion while also biasing the animals towards low-speed dwelling behavior over longer timescales. The acute effects of HSN on egg-laying and high-speed locomotion are mediated by separate sets of HSN transmitters and different HSN axonal projections. The long-lasting effects on dwelling are mediated by HSN release of serotonin that is taken up and re-released by NSM, another serotonergic neuron class that directly evokes dwelling. Our results show how the multi-functional properties of a single neuron allow it to induce a coordinated suite of behaviors and also reveal for the first time that neurons can borrow serotonin from one another to control behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yung-Chi Huang
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jinyue Luo
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Wenjia Huang
- Department of Neurobiology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Casey M. Baker
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Matthew A. Gomes
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Alexandra B. Byrne
- Department of Neurobiology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Steven W. Flavell
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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22
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Lee KE, Cho JH, Song HO. Calumenin, a Ca 2+ Binding Protein, Is Required for Dauer Formation in Caenorhabditis elegans. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12030464. [PMID: 36979156 PMCID: PMC10044922 DOI: 10.3390/biology12030464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans can adapt and survive in dynamically changing environments by the smart and delicate switching of molecular plasticity. C. elegans dauer diapause is a form of phenotypic and developmental plasticity that induces reversible developmental arrest upon environmental cues. An ER (endoplasmic reticulum)-resident Ca2+ binding protein, calumenin has been reported to function in a variety of malignant diseases in vertebrates and in the process of muscle contraction-relaxation. In C. elegans, CALU-1 is known to function in Ca2+-regulated behaviors (pharyngeal pumping and defecation) and cuticle formation. The cuticles of dauer larvae are morphologically distinct from those of larvae that develop in favorable conditions. The structure of the dauer cuticle is thicker and more highly reinforced than that of other larval stages to protect dauer larvae from various environmental insults. Since the calu-1(tm1783) mutant exhibited abnormal cuticle structures such as highly deformed annuli and alae, we investigated whether CALU-1 is involved in dauer formation or not. Ascaroside pheromone (ascr#2) and crude daumone were used under starvation conditions to analyze the rate of dauer formation in the calu-1(tm1783) mutant. Surprisingly, the dauer ratio of the calu-1(tm1783) mutant was extremely low compared to that of the wild type. In fact, the calu-1(tm1783) mutants were mostly unable to enter diapause. We also found that calu-1 is expressed in body-wall muscle and AIA interneurons at the dauer stage. Taken together, our results suggest that CALU-1 is required for normal entry into diapause in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung Eun Lee
- Department of Infection Biology, Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Iksan 54538, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong Hoon Cho
- Department of Biology Education, College of Education, Chosun University, Gwangju 61452, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Ok Song
- Department of Infection Biology, Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Iksan 54538, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School, Wonkwang University, Iksan 54538, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Wonkwang Medical Science, Wonkwang University, Iksan 54538, Republic of Korea
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23
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Liu H, Wu JJ, Li R, Wang PZ, Huang JH, Xu Y, Zhao JL, Wu PP, Li SJ, Wu ZX. Disexcitation in the ASH/RIM/ADL negative feedback circuit fine-tunes hyperosmotic sensation and avoidance in Caenorhabditis elegans. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1101628. [PMID: 37008778 PMCID: PMC10050701 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1101628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensations, especially nociception, are tightly controlled and regulated by the central and peripheral nervous systems. Osmotic sensation and related physiological and behavioral reactions are essential for animal well-being and survival. In this study, we find that interaction between secondary nociceptive ADL and primary nociceptive ASH neurons upregulates Caenorhabditis elegans avoidance of the mild and medium hyperosmolality of 0.41 and 0.88 Osm but does not affect avoidance of high osmolality of 1.37 and 2.29 Osm. The interaction between ASH and ADL is actualized through a negative feedback circuit consisting of ASH, ADL, and RIM interneurons. In this circuit, hyperosmolality-sensitive ADL augments the ASH hyperosmotic response and animal hyperosmotic avoidance; RIM inhibits ADL and is excited by ASH; thus, ASH exciting RIM reduces ADL augmenting ASH. The neuronal signal integration modality in the circuit is disexcitation. In addition, ASH promotes hyperosmotic avoidance through ASH/RIC/AIY feedforward circuit. Finally, we find that in addition to ASH and ADL, multiple sensory neurons are involved in hyperosmotic sensation and avoidance behavior.
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24
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Yang B, Wang J, Zheng X, Wang X. Nematode Pheromones: Structures and Functions. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28052409. [PMID: 36903652 PMCID: PMC10005090 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28052409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Pheromones are chemical signals secreted by one individual that can affect the behaviors of other individuals within the same species. Ascaroside is an evolutionarily conserved family of nematode pheromones that play an integral role in the development, lifespan, propagation, and stress response of nematodes. Their general structure comprises the dideoxysugar ascarylose and fatty-acid-like side chains. Ascarosides can vary structurally and functionally according to the lengths of their side chains and how they are derivatized with different moieties. In this review, we mainly describe the chemical structures of ascarosides and their different effects on the development, mating, and aggregation of nematodes, as well as how they are synthesized and regulated. In addition, we discuss their influences on other species in various aspects. This review provides a reference for the functions and structures of ascarosides and enables their better application.
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25
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Lin A, Qin S, Casademunt H, Wu M, Hung W, Cain G, Tan NZ, Valenzuela R, Lesanpezeshki L, Venkatachalam V, Pehlevan C, Zhen M, Samuel AD. Functional imaging and quantification of multineuronal olfactory responses in C. elegans. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade1249. [PMID: 36857454 PMCID: PMC9977185 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade1249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Many animals perceive odorant molecules by collecting information from ensembles of olfactory neurons, where each neuron uses receptors that are tuned to recognize certain odorant molecules with different binding affinity. Olfactory systems are able, in principle, to detect and discriminate diverse odorants using combinatorial coding strategies. We have combined microfluidics and multineuronal imaging to study the ensemble-level olfactory representations at the sensory periphery of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The collective activity of C. elegans chemosensory neurons reveals high-dimensional representations of olfactory information across a broad space of odorant molecules. We reveal diverse tuning properties and dose-response curves across chemosensory neurons and across odorants. We describe the unique contribution of each sensory neuron to an ensemble-level code for volatile odorants. We show that a natural stimuli, a set of nematode pheromones, are also encoded by the sensory ensemble. The integrated activity of the C. elegans chemosensory neurons contains sufficient information to robustly encode the intensity and identity of diverse chemical stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Lin
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Shanshan Qin
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Helena Casademunt
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Min Wu
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Wesley Hung
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Gregory Cain
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nicolas Z. Tan
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Leila Lesanpezeshki
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Cengiz Pehlevan
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mei Zhen
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Aravinthan D.T. Samuel
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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26
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Chen L, Wang Y, Zhou X, Wang T, Zhan H, Wu F, Li H, Bian P, Xie Z. Investigation into the communication between unheated and heat-stressed Caenorhabditis elegans via volatile stress signals. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3225. [PMID: 36828837 PMCID: PMC9958180 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26554-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Our research group has recently found that radiation-induced airborne stress signals can be used for communication among Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). This paper addresses the question of whether heat stress can also induce the emission of airborne stress signals to alert neighboring C. elegans and elicit their subsequent stress response. Here, we report that heat-stressed C. elegans produces volatile stress signals that trigger an increase in radiation resistance in neighboring unheated C. elegans. When several loss-of-function mutations affecting thermosensory neuron (AFD), heat shock factor-1, HSP-4, and small heat-shock proteins were used to test heat-stressed C. elegans, we found that the production of volatile stress signals was blocked, demonstrating that the heat shock response and ER pathway are involved in controlling the production of volatile stress signals. Our data further indicated that mutations affecting the DNA damage response (DDR) also inhibited the increase in radiation resistance in neighboring unheated C. elegans that might have received volatile stress signals, indicating that the DDR might contribute to radioadaptive responses induction by volatile stress signals. In addition, the regulatory pattern of signal production and action was preliminarily clarified. Together, the results of this study demonstrated that heat-stressed nematodes communicate with unheated nematodes via volatile stress signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liangwen Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, School of Tea and Food Sciences and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Bioresource and Environmental Biotechnology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, School of Bioengineering, Huainan Normal University, Huainan, 232001, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, People's Republic of China
| | - Yun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Bioresource and Environmental Biotechnology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, School of Bioengineering, Huainan Normal University, Huainan, 232001, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiuhong Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, School of Tea and Food Sciences and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, People's Republic of China
| | - Ting Wang
- Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, People's Republic of China
| | - Huimin Zhan
- Key Laboratory of Bioresource and Environmental Biotechnology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, School of Bioengineering, Huainan Normal University, Huainan, 232001, People's Republic of China
| | - Fei Wu
- Key Laboratory of Bioresource and Environmental Biotechnology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, School of Bioengineering, Huainan Normal University, Huainan, 232001, People's Republic of China
| | - Haolan Li
- Key Laboratory of Bioresource and Environmental Biotechnology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, School of Bioengineering, Huainan Normal University, Huainan, 232001, People's Republic of China
| | - Po Bian
- Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, People's Republic of China.
| | - Zhongwen Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, School of Tea and Food Sciences and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, People's Republic of China.
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Worms exposed to virulent bacteria show changes in social behaviour. Nature 2023:10.1038/d41586-022-04224-z. [PMID: 36599998 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-022-04224-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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28
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Wu T, Ge M, Wu M, Duan F, Liang J, Chen M, Gracida X, Liu H, Yang W, Dar AR, Li C, Butcher RA, Saltzman AL, Zhang Y. Pathogenic bacteria modulate pheromone response to promote mating. Nature 2023; 613:324-331. [PMID: 36599989 PMCID: PMC10732163 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05561-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Pathogens generate ubiquitous selective pressures and host-pathogen interactions alter social behaviours in many animals1-4. However, very little is known about the neuronal mechanisms underlying pathogen-induced changes in social behaviour. Here we show that in adult Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodites, exposure to a bacterial pathogen (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) modulates sensory responses to pheromones by inducing the expression of the chemoreceptor STR-44 to promote mating. Under standard conditions, C. elegans hermaphrodites avoid a mixture of ascaroside pheromones to facilitate dispersal5-13. We find that exposure to the pathogenic Pseudomonas bacteria enables pheromone responses in AWA sensory neurons, which mediate attractive chemotaxis, to suppress the avoidance. Pathogen exposure induces str-44 expression in AWA neurons, a process regulated by a transcription factor zip-5 that also displays a pathogen-induced increase in expression in AWA. STR-44 acts as a pheromone receptor and its function in AWA neurons is required for pathogen-induced AWA pheromone response and suppression of pheromone avoidance. Furthermore, we show that C. elegans hermaphrodites, which reproduce mainly through self-fertilization, increase the rate of mating with males after pathogen exposure and that this increase requires str-44 in AWA neurons. Thus, our results uncover a causal mechanism for pathogen-induced social behaviour plasticity, which can promote genetic diversity and facilitate adaptation of the host animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taihong Wu
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Minghai Ge
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Min Wu
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Fengyun Duan
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jingting Liang
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Maoting Chen
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Xicotencatl Gracida
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - He Liu
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Wenxing Yang
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Abdul Rouf Dar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Chengyin Li
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rebecca A Butcher
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Arneet L Saltzman
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yun Zhang
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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29
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Thapliyal S, Glauser DA. Neurogenetic Analysis in Caenorhabditis elegans. Neurogenetics 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-07793-7_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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30
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Davis K, Mitchell C, Weissenfels O, Bai J, Raizen DM, Ailion M, Topalidou I. G protein-coupled receptor kinase-2 (GRK-2) controls exploration through neuropeptide signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010613. [PMID: 36652499 PMCID: PMC9886303 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals alter their behavior in manners that depend on environmental conditions as well as their developmental and metabolic states. For example, C. elegans is quiescent during larval molts or during conditions of satiety. By contrast, worms enter an exploration state when removed from food. Sensory perception influences movement quiescence (defined as a lack of body movement), as well as the expression of additional locomotor states in C. elegans that are associated with increased or reduced locomotion activity, such as roaming (exploration behavior) and dwelling (local search). Here we find that movement quiescence is enhanced, and exploration behavior is reduced in G protein-coupled receptor kinase grk-2 mutant animals. grk-2 was previously shown to act in chemosensation, locomotion, and egg-laying behaviors. Using neuron-specific rescuing experiments, we show that GRK-2 acts in multiple ciliated chemosensory neurons to control exploration behavior. grk-2 acts in opposite ways from the cGMP-dependent protein kinase gene egl-4 to control movement quiescence and exploration behavior. Analysis of mutants with defects in ciliated sensory neurons indicates that grk-2 and the cilium-structure mutants act in the same pathway to control exploration behavior. We find that GRK-2 controls exploration behavior in an opposite manner from the neuropeptide receptor NPR-1 and the neuropeptides FLP-1 and FLP-18. Finally, we show that secretion of the FLP-1 neuropeptide is negatively regulated by GRK-2 and that overexpression of FLP-1 reduces exploration behavior. These results define neurons and molecular pathways that modulate movement quiescence and exploration behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Davis
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Center for Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Christo Mitchell
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Olivia Weissenfels
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Jihong Bai
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - David M. Raizen
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Michael Ailion
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Irini Topalidou
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
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31
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Shoenhard H, Jain RA, Granato M. The calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) regulates zebrafish sensorimotor decision making via a genetically defined cluster of hindbrain neurons. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111790. [PMID: 36476852 PMCID: PMC9813870 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111790] [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: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Decision making is a fundamental nervous system function that ranges widely in complexity and speed of execution. We previously established larval zebrafish as a model for sensorimotor decision making and identified the G-protein-coupled calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) to be critical for this process. Here, we report that CaSR functions in neurons to dynamically regulate the bias between two behavioral outcomes: escapes and reorientations. By employing a computational guided transgenic strategy, we identify a genetically defined neuronal cluster in the hindbrain as a key candidate site for CaSR function. Finally, we demonstrate that transgenic CaSR expression targeting this cluster consisting of a few hundred neurons shifts behavioral bias in wild-type animals and restores decision making deficits in CaSR mutants. Combined, our data provide a rare example of a G-protein-coupled receptor that biases vertebrate sensorimotor decision making via a defined neuronal cluster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Shoenhard
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Roshan A. Jain
- Department of Biology, Haverford College, Haverford, PA 19041, USA
| | - Michael Granato
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Lead contact,Correspondence:
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32
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High-performance optical control of GPCR signaling by bistable animal opsins MosOpn3 and LamPP in a molecular property-dependent manner. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2204341119. [PMID: 36417444 PMCID: PMC9889881 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2204341119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Optical control of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling is a highly valuable approach for comprehensive understanding of GPCR-based physiologies and controlling them precisely. However, optogenetics for GPCR signaling is still developing and requires effective and versatile tools with performance evaluation from their molecular properties. Here, we systematically investigated performance of two bistable opsins that activate Gi/Go-type G protein (mosquito Opn3 (MosOpn3) and lamprey parapinopsin (LamPP)) in optical control in vivo using Caenorhabditis elegans. Transgenic worms expressing MosOpn3, which binds 13-cis retinal to form photopigments, in nociceptor neurons showed light-induced avoidance responses in the presence of all-trans retinal, a retinal isomer ubiquitously present in every tissue, like microbial rhodopsins and unlike canonical vertebrate opsins. Remarkably, transgenic worms expressing MosOpn3 were ~7,000 times more sensitive to light than transgenic worms expressing ChR2 in this light-induced behavior, demonstrating the advantage of MosOpn3 as a light switch. LamPP is a UV-sensitive bistable opsin having complete photoregenerative ability by green light. Accordingly, transgenic worms expressing LamPP in cholinergic motor neurons stopped moving upon violet light illumination and restored coordinate movement upon green light illumination, demonstrating color-dependent control of behavior using LamPP. Furthermore, we applied molecular engineering to produce MosOpn3-based tools enabling light-dependent upregulation of cAMP or Ca2+ levels and LamPP-based tool enabling clamping cAMP levels color dependently and context independently, extending their usability. These findings define the capacity of two bistable opsins with similar retinal requirement as ChR2, providing numerous strategies for optical control of various GPCR-based physiologies as well as GPCR signaling itself.
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Yu YV, Xue W, Chen Y. Multisensory Integration in Caenorhabditis elegans in Comparison to Mammals. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12101368. [PMID: 36291302 PMCID: PMC9599712 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12101368] [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: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Multisensory integration refers to sensory inputs from different sensory modalities being processed simultaneously to produce a unitary output. Surrounded by stimuli from multiple modalities, animals utilize multisensory integration to form a coherent and robust representation of the complex environment. Even though multisensory integration is fundamentally essential for animal life, our understanding of the underlying mechanisms, especially at the molecular, synaptic and circuit levels, remains poorly understood. The study of sensory perception in Caenorhabditis elegans has begun to fill this gap. We have gained a considerable amount of insight into the general principles of sensory neurobiology owing to C. elegans’ highly sensitive perceptions, relatively simple nervous system, ample genetic tools and completely mapped neural connectome. Many interesting paradigms of multisensory integration have been characterized in C. elegans, for which input convergence occurs at the sensory neuron or the interneuron level. In this narrative review, we describe some representative cases of multisensory integration in C. elegans, summarize the underlying mechanisms and compare them with those in mammalian systems. Despite the differences, we believe C. elegans is able to provide unique insights into how processing and integrating multisensory inputs can generate flexible and adaptive behaviors. With the emergence of whole brain imaging, the ability of C. elegans to monitor nearly the entire nervous system may be crucial for understanding the function of the brain as a whole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanxun V. Yu
- Department of Neurology, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Correspondence: or
| | - Weikang Xue
- Department of Neurology, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yuanhua Chen
- Department of Neurology, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430070, China
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Filipowicz A, Lalsiamthara J, Aballay A. Dissection of a sensorimotor circuit underlying pathogen aversion in C. elegans. BMC Biol 2022; 20:229. [PMID: 36209082 PMCID: PMC9548130 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01424-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Altering animal behavior to reduce pathogen exposure is a key line of defense against pathogen attack. In Caenorhabditis elegans, alterations in intestinal physiology caused by pathogen colonization and sensation of microbial metabolites may lead to activation of pathogen aversive behaviors ranging from aversive reflexes to learned avoidance. However, the neural circuitry between chemosensory neurons that sense pathogenic bacterial cues and the motor neurons responsible for avoidance-associated locomotion remains unknown. RESULTS Using C. elegans, we found that backward locomotion was a component of learned pathogen avoidance, as animals pre-exposed to Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Enterococcus faecalis showed reflexive aversion to drops of the bacteria driven by chemosensory neurons, including the olfactory AWB neurons. This response also involved intestinal distention and, for E. faecalis, required expression of TRPM channels in the intestine and excretory system. Additionally, we uncovered a circuit composed of olfactory neurons, interneurons, and motor neurons that controls the backward locomotion crucial for learned reflexive aversion to pathogenic bacteria, learned avoidance, and the repulsive odor 2-nonanone. CONCLUSIONS Using whole-brain simulation and functional assays, we uncovered a novel sensorimotor circuit governing learned reflexive aversion. The discovery of a complete sensorimotor circuit for reflexive aversion demonstrates the utility of using the C. elegans connectome and computational modeling in uncovering new neuronal regulators of behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Filipowicz
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Jonathan Lalsiamthara
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Alejandro Aballay
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
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Positive interaction between ASH and ASK sensory neurons accelerates nociception and inhibits behavioral adaptation. iScience 2022; 25:105287. [PMID: 36304123 PMCID: PMC9593764 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 05/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Central and peripheral sensory neurons tightly regulate nociception and avoidance behavior. The peripheral modulation of nociception provides more veridical and instantaneous information for animals to achieve rapid, more fine-tuned and concentrated behavioral responses. In this study, we find that positive interaction between ASH and ASK sensory neurons is essential for the fast-rising phase of ASH Ca2+ responses to noxious copper ions and inhibits the adaption of avoiding Cu2+. We reveal the underlying neuronal circuit mechanism. ASK accelerates the ASH Ca2+ responses by transferring cGMP through gap junctions. ASH excites ASK via a disinhibitory neuronal circuit composed of ASH, AIA, and ASK. Avoidance adaptation depends on the slope rate of the rising phase of ASH Ca2+ responses. Thus, in addition to amplitude, sensory kinetics is significant for sensations and behaviors, especially for sensory and behavioral adaptations.
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36
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Widespread employment of conserved C. elegans homeobox genes in neuronal identity specification. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010372. [PMID: 36178933 PMCID: PMC9524666 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Homeobox genes are prominent regulators of neuronal identity, but the extent to which their function has been probed in animal nervous systems remains limited. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, each individual neuron class is defined by the expression of unique combinations of homeobox genes, prompting the question of whether each neuron class indeed requires a homeobox gene for its proper identity specification. We present here progress in addressing this question by extending previous mutant analysis of homeobox gene family members and describing multiple examples of homeobox gene function in different parts of the C. elegans nervous system. To probe homeobox function, we make use of a number of reporter gene tools, including a novel multicolor reporter transgene, NeuroPAL, which permits simultaneous monitoring of the execution of multiple differentiation programs throughout the entire nervous system. Using these tools, we add to the previous characterization of homeobox gene function by identifying neuronal differentiation defects for 14 homeobox genes in 24 distinct neuron classes that are mostly unrelated by location, function and lineage history. 12 of these 24 neuron classes had no homeobox gene function ascribed to them before, while in the other 12 neuron classes, we extend the combinatorial code of transcription factors required for specifying terminal differentiation programs. Furthermore, we demonstrate that in a particular lineage, homeotic identity transformations occur upon loss of a homeobox gene and we show that these transformations are the result of changes in homeobox codes. Combining the present with past analyses, 113 of the 118 neuron classes of C. elegans are now known to require a homeobox gene for proper execution of terminal differentiation programs. Such broad deployment indicates that homeobox function in neuronal identity specification may be an ancestral feature of animal nervous systems.
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37
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Jiang Y, Huang M, Li C, Hua C, Qin R, Chang D, Jiang D, Zhao L, Wang X, Yu J, Wang C. Responses of infective juveniles of the soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines) and the root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne hapla, M. incognita) to amino acids. NEMATOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1163/15685411-bja10190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Summary
Plant-parasitic nematode infective juveniles (J2) use phytochemical signals released into the rhizosphere to locate host roots. Amino acids are the second most abundant metabolites of root exudates, but it is unknown if they are associated with J2 chemotaxis. In this study, J2 chemotaxis and mortality of the soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines) and root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne incognita and M. hapla) were examined in response to 15 amino acids and the corresponding pH values for tested amino acid solutions were measured. Responses varied by amino acid and among the species. Significant attraction, determined by J2 count within amino acid solution dispensers after 24 h exposure, occurred with 19 out of 45 J2-amino acid combinations. Heterodera glycines, M. hapla and M. incognita were attracted to nine, three and seven amino acids, respectively. Strongest attractions were to acidic polar amino acids aspartate and glutamate (H. glycines, M. hapla) and basic polar arginine (M. hapla), as previously reported, acid and basic pH attracting nematodes, thereby indicating that pH might be one of the attraction factors for these amino acids. All three nematodes exhibited clustering behaviours, such as halo or balling formations, just outside amino acid solution dispensers, with H. glycines, M. hapla and M. incognita responding to four, 12 and two amino acids, respectively. Six of 15 amino acid solutions, representing a range of pH values, caused increased mortality. Certain aspartate and glutamate affected both H. glycines and M. hapla; arginine, aspartate, cysteine, lysine, methionine affected M. incognita; and cysteine caused complete mortality in M. hapla. All the results suggest that amino acids affect nematode attraction and mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Molecular Design Breeding, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150081, Heilongjiang, P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Minghui Huang
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Molecular Design Breeding, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150081, Heilongjiang, P.R. China
| | - Chunjie Li
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Molecular Design Breeding, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150081, Heilongjiang, P.R. China
| | - Cui Hua
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Molecular Design Breeding, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150081, Heilongjiang, P.R. China
| | - Ruifeng Qin
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Molecular Design Breeding, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150081, Heilongjiang, P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Doudou Chang
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Molecular Design Breeding, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150081, Heilongjiang, P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Dan Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Molecular Design Breeding, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150081, Heilongjiang, P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lei Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Molecular Design Breeding, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150081, Heilongjiang, P.R. China
| | - Xuan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Molecular Design Breeding, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150081, Heilongjiang, P.R. China
| | - Jinyao Yu
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Molecular Design Breeding, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150081, Heilongjiang, P.R. China
| | - Congli Wang
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Molecular Design Breeding, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150081, Heilongjiang, P.R. China
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McLachlan IG, Kramer TS, Dua M, DiLoreto EM, Gomes MA, Dag U, Srinivasan J, Flavell SW. Diverse states and stimuli tune olfactory receptor expression levels to modulate food-seeking behavior. eLife 2022; 11:e79557. [PMID: 36044259 PMCID: PMC9433090 DOI: 10.7554/elife.79557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals must weigh competing needs and states to generate adaptive behavioral responses to the environment. Sensorimotor circuits are thus tasked with integrating diverse external and internal cues relevant to these needs to generate context-appropriate behaviors. However, the mechanisms that underlie this integration are largely unknown. Here, we show that a wide range of states and stimuli converge upon a single Caenorhabditis elegans olfactory neuron to modulate food-seeking behavior. Using an unbiased ribotagging approach, we find that the expression of olfactory receptor genes in the AWA olfactory neuron is influenced by a wide array of states and stimuli, including feeding state, physiological stress, and recent sensory cues. We identify odorants that activate these state-dependent olfactory receptors and show that altered expression of these receptors influences food-seeking and foraging. Further, we dissect the molecular and neural circuit pathways through which external sensory information and internal nutritional state are integrated by AWA. This reveals a modular organization in which sensory and state-related signals arising from different cell types in the body converge on AWA and independently control chemoreceptor expression. The synthesis of these signals by AWA allows animals to generate sensorimotor responses that reflect the animal's overall state. Our findings suggest a general model in which sensory- and state-dependent transcriptional changes at the sensory periphery modulate animals' sensorimotor responses to meet their ongoing needs and states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian G McLachlan
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Talya S Kramer
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
- MIT Biology Graduate Program, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Malvika Dua
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Elizabeth M DiLoreto
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic InstituteWorcesterUnited States
| | - Matthew A Gomes
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Ugur Dag
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Jagan Srinivasan
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic InstituteWorcesterUnited States
| | - Steven W Flavell
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
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Eiden LE, Hernández VS, Jiang SZ, Zhang L. Neuropeptides and small-molecule amine transmitters: cooperative signaling in the nervous system. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:492. [PMID: 35997826 PMCID: PMC11072502 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04451-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Neuropeptides are expressed in cell-specific patterns throughout mammalian brain. Neuropeptide gene expression has been useful for clustering neurons by phenotype, based on single-cell transcriptomics, and for defining specific functional circuits throughout the brain. How neuropeptides function as first messengers in inter-neuronal communication, in cooperation with classical small-molecule amine transmitters (SMATs) is a current topic of systems neurobiology. Questions include how neuropeptides and SMATs cooperate in neurotransmission at the molecular, cellular and circuit levels; whether neuropeptides and SMATs always co-exist in neurons; where neuropeptides and SMATs are stored in the neuron, released from the neuron and acting, and at which receptors, after release; and how neuropeptides affect 'classical' transmitter function, both directly upon co-release, and indirectly, via long-term regulation of gene transcription and neuronal plasticity. Here, we review an extensive body of data about the distribution of neuropeptides and their receptors, their actions after neuronal release, and their function based on pharmacological and genetic loss- and gain-of-function experiments, that addresses these questions, fundamental to understanding brain function, and development of neuropeptide-based, and potentially combinatorial peptide/SMAT-based, neurotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee E Eiden
- Section On Molecular Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 49 Convent Drive, Room 5A38, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Vito S Hernández
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Sunny Z Jiang
- Section On Molecular Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 49 Convent Drive, Room 5A38, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Limei Zhang
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico.
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40
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Wee CL, Song E, Nikitchenko M, Herrera KJ, Wong S, Engert F, Kunes S. Social isolation modulates appetite and avoidance behavior via a common oxytocinergic circuit in larval zebrafish. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2573. [PMID: 35545618 PMCID: PMC9095721 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29765-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal brains have evolved to encode social stimuli and transform these representations into advantageous behavioral responses. The commonalities and differences of these representations across species are not well-understood. Here, we show that social isolation activates an oxytocinergic (OXT), nociceptive circuit in the larval zebrafish hypothalamus and that chemical cues released from conspecific animals are potent modulators of this circuit's activity. We delineate an olfactory to subpallial pathway that transmits chemical social cues to OXT circuitry, where they are transformed into diverse outputs simultaneously regulating avoidance and feeding behaviors. Our data allow us to propose a model through which social stimuli are integrated within a fundamental neural circuit to mediate diverse adaptive behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline L Wee
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, Singapore
| | - Erin Song
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Maxim Nikitchenko
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kristian J Herrera
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sandy Wong
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Florian Engert
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
| | - Samuel Kunes
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
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41
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Pribic MR, Black AH, Beale AD, Gauvin JA, Chiang LN, Rose JK. Association of Two Opposing Responses Results in the Emergence of a Novel Conditioned Response. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:852266. [PMID: 35571277 PMCID: PMC9102977 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.852266] [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: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies examining association of opposing responses, contrasting emotional valences, or counter motivational states have begun to elucidate how learning and memory processes can translate to clinical therapies for trauma or addiction. In the current study, association of opposing responses is tested in C. elegans. Due to its relatively simple and well-described nervous system, it was hypothesized that association of two oppositional stimuli presented in a delayed conditioning protocol would strengthen the behavioral response to the first stimulus (alpha conditioning). To test this, C. elegans were exposed to a tone vibration stimulus (to activate a mechanosensory-driven locomotor reversal response) paired with a blue light (to activate a forward locomotor response) at a 2-s delay. After five pairings, behavior was measured following a tone-alone stimulus. Worms that received stimulus pairing did not show an enhanced response to the first presented stimulus (tone vibration) but rather showed a marked increase in time spent in pause (cessation of movement), a new behavioral response (beta conditioning). This increase in pause behavior was accompanied by changes in measures of both backward and forward locomotion. Understanding the dynamics of conditioned behavior resulting from pairing of oppositional responses could provide further insight into how learning processes occur and may be applied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micaela R. Pribic
- Biology Department, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
| | - Aristide H. Black
- Department of Psychology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
| | - Asia D. Beale
- Department of Psychology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
| | - Jessica A. Gauvin
- Department of Psychology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
| | - Lisa N. Chiang
- Department of Psychology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
| | - Jacqueline K. Rose
- Department of Psychology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
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42
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Chai CM, Torkashvand M, Seyedolmohadesin M, Park H, Venkatachalam V, Sternberg PW. Interneuron control of C. elegans developmental decision-making. Curr Biol 2022; 32:2316-2324.e4. [PMID: 35447086 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.03.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Natural environments are highly dynamic, and this complexity challenges animals to accurately integrate external cues to shape their responses. Adaptive developmental plasticity enables organisms to remodel their physiology, morphology, and behavior to better suit the predicted future environment and ultimately enhance their ecological success.1 Understanding how an animal generates a neural representation of current and forecasted environmental conditions and converts these circuit computations into a predictive adaptive physiological response may provide fundamental insights into the molecular and cellular basis of decision-making over developmentally relevant timescales. Although it is known that sensory cues usually trigger the developmental switch and that downstream inter-tissue signaling pathways enact the alternative developmental phenotype, the integrative neural mechanisms that transduce external inputs into effector pathways are less clear.2,3 In adverse environments, Caenorhabditis elegans larvae can enter a stress-resistant diapause state with arrested metabolism and reproductive physiology.4 Amphid sensory neurons feed into both rapid chemotactic and short-term foraging mode decisions, mediated by amphid and pre-motor interneurons, as well as the long-term diapause entry decision. Here, we identify amphid interneurons that integrate pheromone cues and propagate this information via a neuropeptidergic pathway to influence larval developmental fate, bypassing the pre-motor system. AIA interneuron-derived FLP-2 neuropeptide signaling promotes reproductive growth, and AIA activity is suppressed by pheromones. FLP-2 signaling is inhibited by upstream glutamatergic transmission via the metabotropic receptor MGL-1 and mediated by the broadly expressed neuropeptide G-protein-coupled receptor NPR-30. Thus, metabotropic signaling allows the reuse of parts of a sensory system for a decision with a distinct timescale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia M Chai
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
| | - Mahdi Torkashvand
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Heenam Park
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Vivek Venkatachalam
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Paul W Sternberg
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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Doldur-Balli F, Imamura T, Veatch OJ, Gong NN, Lim DC, Hart MP, Abel T, Kayser MS, Brodkin ES, Pack AI. Synaptic dysfunction connects autism spectrum disorder and sleep disturbances: A perspective from studies in model organisms. Sleep Med Rev 2022; 62:101595. [PMID: 35158305 PMCID: PMC9064929 DOI: 10.1016/j.smrv.2022.101595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Sleep disturbances (SD) accompany many neurodevelopmental disorders, suggesting SD is a transdiagnostic process that can account for behavioral deficits and influence underlying neuropathogenesis. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) comprises a complex set of neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by challenges in social interaction, communication, and restricted, repetitive behaviors. Diagnosis of ASD is based primarily on behavioral criteria, and there are no drugs that target core symptoms. Among the co-occurring conditions associated with ASD, SD are one of the most prevalent. SD often arises before the onset of other ASD symptoms. Sleep interventions improve not only sleep but also daytime behaviors in children with ASD. Here, we examine sleep phenotypes in multiple model systems relevant to ASD, e.g., mice, zebrafish, fruit flies and worms. Given the functions of sleep in promoting brain connectivity, neural plasticity, emotional regulation and social behavior, all of which are of critical importance in ASD pathogenesis, we propose that synaptic dysfunction is a major mechanism that connects ASD and SD. Common molecular targets in this interplay that are involved in synaptic function might be a novel avenue for therapy of individuals with ASD experiencing SD. Such therapy would be expected to improve not only sleep but also other ASD symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fusun Doldur-Balli
- Division of Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.
| | - Toshihiro Imamura
- Division of Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA; Division of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Olivia J Veatch
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, USA
| | - Naihua N Gong
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Diane C Lim
- Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Division, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, USA
| | - Michael P Hart
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Ted Abel
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute and Department of Neuroscience & Pharmacology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA
| | - Matthew S Kayser
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA; Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Edward S Brodkin
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Allan I Pack
- Division of Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
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Sheardown E, Mech AM, Petrazzini MEM, Leggieri A, Gidziela A, Hosseinian S, Sealy IM, Torres-Perez JV, Busch-Nentwich EM, Malanchini M, Brennan CH. Translational relevance of forward genetic screens in animal models for the study of psychiatric disease. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 135:104559. [PMID: 35124155 PMCID: PMC9016269 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Psychiatric disorders represent a significant burden in our societies. Despite the convincing evidence pointing at gene and gene-environment interaction contributions, the role of genetics in the etiology of psychiatric disease is still poorly understood. Forward genetic screens in animal models have helped elucidate causal links. Here we discuss the application of mutagenesis-based forward genetic approaches in common animal model species: two invertebrates, nematodes (Caenorhabditis elegans) and fruit flies (Drosophila sp.); and two vertebrates, zebrafish (Danio rerio) and mice (Mus musculus), in relation to psychiatric disease. We also discuss the use of large scale genomic studies in human populations. Despite the advances using data from human populations, animal models coupled with next-generation sequencing strategies are still needed. Although with its own limitations, zebrafish possess characteristics that make them especially well-suited to forward genetic studies exploring the etiology of psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Sheardown
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, England, UK
| | - Aleksandra M Mech
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, England, UK
| | | | - Adele Leggieri
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, England, UK
| | - Agnieszka Gidziela
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, England, UK
| | - Saeedeh Hosseinian
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, England, UK
| | - Ian M Sealy
- Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology & Infectious Disease (CITIID), Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jose V Torres-Perez
- UK Dementia Research Institute at Imperial College London and Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, 86 Wood Lane, London W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Elisabeth M Busch-Nentwich
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, England, UK
| | - Margherita Malanchini
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, England, UK
| | - Caroline H Brennan
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, England, UK.
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45
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Valperga G, de Bono M. Impairing one sensory modality enhances another by reconfiguring peptidergic signalling in Caenorhabditis elegans. eLife 2022; 11:68040. [PMID: 35201977 PMCID: PMC8871372 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals that lose one sensory modality often show augmented responses to other sensory inputs. The mechanisms underpinning this cross-modal plasticity are poorly understood. We probe such mechanisms by performing a forward genetic screen for mutants with enhanced O2 perception in Caenorhabditis elegans. Multiple mutants exhibiting increased O2 responsiveness concomitantly show defects in other sensory responses. One mutant, qui-1, defective in a conserved NACHT/WD40 protein, abolishes pheromone-evoked Ca2+ responses in the ADL pheromone-sensing neurons. At the same time, ADL responsiveness to pre-synaptic input from O2-sensing neurons is heightened in qui-1, and other sensory defective mutants, resulting in enhanced neurosecretion although not increased Ca2+ responses. Expressing qui-1 selectively in ADL rescues both the qui-1 ADL neurosecretory phenotype and enhanced escape from 21% O2. Profiling ADL neurons in qui-1 mutants highlights extensive changes in gene expression, notably of many neuropeptide receptors. We show that elevated ADL expression of the conserved neuropeptide receptor NPR-22 is necessary for enhanced ADL neurosecretion in qui-1 mutants, and is sufficient to confer increased ADL neurosecretion in control animals. Sensory loss can thus confer cross-modal plasticity by changing the peptidergic connectome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Valperga
- Cell Biology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Mario de Bono
- Cell Biology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), Klosterneuburg, Austria
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Floxed exon (Flexon): A flexibly positioned stop cassette for recombinase-mediated conditional gene expression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2117451119. [PMID: 35027456 PMCID: PMC8784106 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2117451119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Tools that afford spatiotemporal control of gene expression are crucial for studying genes and processes in multicellular organisms. Stop cassettes consist of exogenous sequences that interrupt gene expression and flanking site-specific recombinase sites to allow for tissue-specific excision and restoration of function by expression of the cognate recombinase. We describe a stop cassette called a flexon, composed of an artificial exon flanked by artificial introns that can be flexibly positioned in a gene. We demonstrate its efficacy in Caenorhabditis elegans for lineage-specific control of gene expression and for tissue-specific RNA interference and discuss other potential uses. The Flexon approach should be feasible in any system amenable to site-specific recombination-based methods and applicable to diverse areas including development, neuroscience, and metabolism. Conditional gene expression is a powerful tool for genetic analysis of biological phenomena. In the widely used “lox-stop-lox” approach, insertion of a stop cassette consisting of a series of stop codons and polyadenylation signals flanked by lox sites into the 5′ untranslated region (UTR) of a gene prevents expression until the cassette is excised by tissue-specific expression of Cre recombinase. Although lox-stop-lox and similar approaches using other site-specific recombinases have been successfully used in many experimental systems, this design has certain limitations. Here, we describe the Floxed exon (Flexon) approach, which uses a stop cassette composed of an artificial exon flanked by artificial introns, designed to cause premature termination of translation and nonsense-mediated decay of the mRNA and allowing for flexible placement into a gene. We demonstrate its efficacy in Caenorhabditis elegans by showing that, when promoters that cause weak and/or transient cell-specific expression are used to drive Cre in combination with a gfp(flexon) transgene, strong and sustained expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) is obtained in specific lineages. We also demonstrate its efficacy in an endogenous gene context: we inserted a flexon into the Argonaute gene rde-1 to abrogate RNA interference (RNAi), and restored RNAi tissue specifically by expression of Cre. Finally, we describe several potential additional applications of the Flexon approach, including more precise control of gene expression using intersectional methods, tissue-specific protein degradation, and generation of genetic mosaics. The Flexon approach should be feasible in any system where a site-specific recombination-based method may be applied.
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Louis M, Grunwald Kadow IC. Action selection: Neuropeptidergic gates of behavior. Curr Biol 2022; 32:R39-R42. [PMID: 35015994 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.11.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Nervous systems continuously receive environmental signals with distinct behavioral meanings. To process ambiguous sensory inputs, neural circuits rely on hubs with compartmentalized synaptic structures. A new study has revealed how, in Drosophila larvae, this architecture with the local release of neuropeptides enables the control of flexible and context-dependent behavioral outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthieu Louis
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA.
| | - Ilona C Grunwald Kadow
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany; Institute of Physiology II, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany.
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48
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Bergs A, Henss T, Glock C, Nagpal J, Gottschalk A. Microbial Rhodopsin Optogenetic Tools: Application for Analyses of Synaptic Transmission and of Neuronal Network Activity in Behavior. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2468:89-115. [PMID: 35320562 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2181-3_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Over the past 15 years, optogenetic methods have revolutionized neuroscientific and cell biological research, also in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. In this chapter, we give an update about current optogenetic tools and methods to address neuronal activity and inhibition, as well as second messenger signaling, based on microbial rhodopsins. We address channelrhodopsins and variants thereof, which conduct cations or anions, for depolarization and hyperpolarization of the membrane potential. Also, we cover ion pumping rhodopsins, like halorhodopsin, Mac, and Arch. A recent addition to rhodopsin-based optogenetics is voltage imaging tools that allow fluorescent readout of membrane voltage (directly, via fluorescence of the rhodopsin chromophore retinal, or indirectly, via electrochromic FRET). Last, we report on a new addition to the optogenetic toolbox, which is rhodopsin guanylyl cyclases, as well as mutated variants with specificity for cyclic AMP. These can be used to regulate intracellular levels of cGMP and cAMP, which are important second messengers in sensory and other neurons. We further show how they can be combined with cyclic nucleotide-gated channels in two-component optogenetics, for depolarization or hyperpolarization of membrane potential. For all tools, we present protocols for straightforward experimentation to address neuronal activation and inhibition, particularly at the neuromuscular junction, and for combined optogenetic actuation and Ca2+ imaging. We also provide protocols for usage of rhodopsin guanylyl and adenylyl cyclases. Finally, we list a number of points to consider when designing and conducting rhodopsin-based optogenetic experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelie Bergs
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Thilo Henss
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Caspar Glock
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- Max-Planck-Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jatin Nagpal
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Alexander Gottschalk
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.
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Katz M. Genetic Methods for Cellular Manipulation in C. elegans. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2468:51-72. [PMID: 35320560 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2181-3_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Neuron manipulation in vivo by ablation, activation or inactivation, and regulation of gene expression is essential for dissecting nervous system function. Here we describe genetic means for neuron manipulation in the nematode C. elegans, and provide protocols for generating transgenic animals containing these genetic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menachem Katz
- Department of Biology, Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
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OKAHATA M, MOTOMURA H, OHTA A, KUHARA A. Molecular physiology regulating cold tolerance and acclimation of Caenorhabditis elegans. PROCEEDINGS OF THE JAPAN ACADEMY. SERIES B, PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 2022; 98:126-139. [PMID: 35283408 PMCID: PMC8948419 DOI: 10.2183/pjab.98.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Many organisms can survive and proliferate in changing environmental temperatures. Here, we introduce a molecular physiological mechanism for cold tolerance and acclimation of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans on the basis of previous reports and a new result. Three types of thermosensory neurons located in the head, ASJ, ASG, and ADL, regulate cold tolerance and acclimation. In ASJ, components of the light-signaling pathway are involved in thermosensation. In ASG, mechanoreceptor DEG-1 acts as thermoreceptor. In ADL, transient receptor potential channels are thermoreceptors; however, the presence of an additional unidentified thermoreceptor is also speculated. ADL thermoresponsivity is modulated by oxygen sensory signaling from URX oxygen sensory neurons via hub interneurons. ASJ releases insulin and steroid hormones that are received by the intestine, which results in lipid composition changing with cold tolerance. Additionally, the intestinal transcriptional alteration affects sperm functions, which in turn affects the thermosensitivity of ASJ; thus, the neuron-intestine-sperm-neuron tissue circuit is essential for cold tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Misaki OKAHATA
- Graduate School of Natural Science, Konan University, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Konan University, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
- Institute for Integrative Neurobiology, Konan University, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Haruka MOTOMURA
- Graduate School of Natural Science, Konan University, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Konan University, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
- Institute for Integrative Neurobiology, Konan University, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Akane OHTA
- Graduate School of Natural Science, Konan University, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Konan University, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
- Institute for Integrative Neurobiology, Konan University, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Atsushi KUHARA
- Graduate School of Natural Science, Konan University, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Konan University, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
- Institute for Integrative Neurobiology, Konan University, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
- PRIME, AMED, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Tokyo, Japan
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