Chemosensory organs as models of neuronal synapses

Epithelial UNC-23 limits mechanical stress to maintain glia-neuron architecture in C. elegans

For an organ to maintain correct architecture and function, its diverse cellular components must coordinate their size and shape. Although cell-intrinsic mechanisms driving homotypic cell-cell coordination are known, it is unclear how cell shape is regulated across heterotypic cells. We find that epithelial cells maintain the shape of neighboring sense-organ glia-neuron units in adult Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). Hsp co-chaperone UNC-23/BAG2 prevents epithelial cell shape from deforming, and its loss causes head epithelia to stretch aberrantly during animal movement. In the sense-organ glia, amphid sheath (AMsh), this causes progressive fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR)-dependent disruption of the glial apical cytoskeleton. Resultant glial cell shape alteration causes concomitant shape change in glia-associated neuron endings. Epithelial UNC-23 maintenance of glia-neuron shape is specific both spatially, within a defined anatomical zone, and temporally, in a developmentally critical period. As all molecular components uncovered are broadly conserved across central and peripheral nervous systems, we posit that epithelia may similarly regulate glia-neuron architecture cross-species.

Keeping pace: the primary cilium as the conducting baton of the islet

Primary cilia are rod-like sensory organelles that protrude from the surface of most mammalian cells, including the cells of the islet, and mounting evidence supports important roles of these structures in the regulation of beta cell function and insulin secretion. The sensory abilities of the cilium arise from local receptor activation that is coupled to intrinsic signal transduction, and ciliary signals can propagate into the cell and influence cell function. Here, we review recent advances and studies that provide insights into intra-islet cues that trigger primary cilia signalling; how second messenger signals are generated and propagated within cilia; and how ciliary signalling affects beta cell function. We also discuss the potential involvement of primary cilia and ciliary signalling in the development and progression of type 2 diabetes, identify gaps in our current understanding of islet cell cilia function and provide suggestions on how to further our understanding of this intriguing structure.

Glia detect and mount a protective response to loss of dendrite substructure integrity in C. elegans

Neurons have elaborate structures that determine their connectivity and functions. Changes in neuronal structure accompany learning and memory formation and are hallmarks of neurological disease. Here we show that glia monitor dendrite structure and respond to dendrite perturbation. In C. elegans mutants with defective sensory-organ dendrite cilia, adjacent glia accumulate extracellular matrix-laden vesicles, secrete excess matrix around cilia, alter gene expression, and change their secreted protein repertoire. Inducible cilia disruption reveals that this response is acute. DGS-1, a 7-transmembrane domain neuronal protein, and FIG-1, a multifunctional thrombospondin-domain glial protein, are required for glial detection of cilia integrity, and exhibit mutually-dependent localization to and around cilia, respectively. While inhibiting glial secretion disrupts dendritic cilia properties, hyperactivating the glial response protects against dendrite damage. Our studies uncover a homeostatic protective dendrite-glia interaction and suggest that similar signaling occurs at other sensory structures and at synapses, which resemble sensory organs in architecture and molecules.

The C. elegans regulatory factor X (RFX) DAF-19M module: A shift from general ciliogenesis to cell-specific ciliary and behavioral specialization

Cilia are important for the interaction with environments and the proper function of tissues. While the basic structure of cilia is well conserved, ciliated cells have various functions. To understand the distinctive identities of ciliated cells, the identification of cell-specific proteins and its regulation is essential. Here, we report the mechanism that confers a specific identity on IL2 neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans, neurons important for the dauer larva-specific nictation behavior. We show that DAF-19M, an isoform of the sole C. elegans RFX transcription factor DAF-19, heads a regulatory subroutine, regulating target genes through an X-box motif variant under the control of terminal selector proteins UNC-86 and CFI-1 in IL2 neurons. Considering the conservation of DAF-19M module in IL2 neurons for nictation and in male-specific neurons for mating behavior, we propose the existence of an evolutionarily adaptable, hard-wired genetic module for distinct behaviors that share the feature "recognizing the environment."

Functional Interaction Between Drosophila Olfactory Sensory Neurons and Their Support Cells

Insects detect volatile chemicals using antennae, which house a vast variety of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) that innervate hair-like structures called sensilla where odor detection takes place. In addition to OSNs, the antenna also hosts various support cell types. These include the triad of trichogen, tormogen, and thecogen support cells that lie adjacent to their respective OSNs. The arrangement of OSN supporting cells occurs stereotypically for all sensilla and is widely conserved in evolution. While insect chemosensory neurons have received considerable attention, little is known about the functional significance of the cells that support them. For instance, it remains unknown whether support cells play an active role in odor detection, or only passively contribute to homeostasis, e.g., by maintaining sensillum lymph composition. To investigate the functional interaction between OSNs and support cells, we used optical and electrophysiological approaches in Drosophila. First, we characterized the distribution of various supporting cells using genetic markers. By means of an ex vivo antennal preparation and genetically-encoded Ca²⁺ and K⁺ indicators, we then studied the activation of these auxiliary cells during odor presentation in adult flies. We observed acute responses and distinct differences in Ca²⁺ and K⁺ fluxes between support cell types. Finally, we observed alterations in OSN responses upon thecogen cell ablation in mature adults. Upon inducible ablation of thecogen cells, we notice a gain in mechanical responsiveness to mechanical stimulations during single-sensillum recording, but a lack of change to the neuronal resting activity. Taken together, these results demonstrate that support cells play a more active and responsive role during odor processing than previously thought. Our observations thus reveal that support cells functionally interact with OSNs and may be important for the extraordinary ability of insect olfactory systems to dynamically and sensitively discriminate between odors in the turbulent sensory landscape of insect flight.

Charging Up the Periphery: Glial Ionic Regulation in Sensory Perception

The peripheral nervous system (PNS) receives diverse sensory stimuli from the environment and transmits this information to the central nervous system (CNS) for subsequent processing. Thus, proper functions of cells in peripheral sense organs are a critical gate-keeper to generating appropriate animal sensory behaviors, and indeed their dysfunction tracks sensory deficits, sensorineural disorders, and aging. Like the CNS, the PNS comprises two major cell types, neurons (or sensory cells) and glia (or glia-like supporting neuroepithelial cells). One classic function of PNS glia is to modulate the ionic concentration around associated sensory cells. Here, we review current knowledge of how non-myelinating support cell glia of the PNS regulate the ionic milieu around sensory cell endings across species and systems. Molecular studies reviewed here suggest that, rather than being a passive homeostatic response, glial ionic regulation may in fact actively modulate sensory perception, implying that PNS glia may be active contributors to sensorineural information processing. This is reminiscent of emerging studies suggesting analogous roles for CNS glia in modulating neural circuit processing. We therefore suggest that deeper molecular mechanistic investigations into critical PNS glial functions like ionic regulation are essential to comprehensively understand sensorineural health, disease, and aging.

The Evolutionary Assembly of Neuronal Machinery

Neurons are highly specialized cells equipped with a sophisticated molecular machinery for the reception, integration, conduction and distribution of information. The evolutionary origin of neurons remains unsolved. How did novel and pre-existing proteins assemble into the complex machinery of the synapse and of the apparatus conducting current along the neuron? In this review, the step-wise assembly of functional modules in neuron evolution serves as a paradigm for the emergence and modification of molecular machinery in the evolution of cell types in multicellular organisms. The pre-synaptic machinery emerged through modification of calcium-regulated large vesicle release, while the postsynaptic machinery has different origins: the glutamatergic postsynapse originated through the fusion of a sensory signaling module and a module for filopodial outgrowth, while the GABAergic postsynapse incorporated an ancient actin regulatory module. The synaptic junction, in turn, is built around two adhesion modules controlled by phosphorylation, which resemble septate and adherens junctions. Finally, neuronal action potentials emerged via a series of duplications and modifications of voltage-gated ion channels. Based on these origins, key molecular innovations are identified that led to the birth of the first neuron in animal evolution.

DYF-4 regulates patched-related/DAF-6-mediated sensory compartment formation in C. elegans

Coordination of neurite extension with surrounding glia development is critical for neuronal function, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Through a genome-wide mutagenesis screen in C. elegans, we identified dyf-4 and daf-6 as two mutants sharing similar defects in dendrite extension. DAF-6 encodes a glia-specific patched-related membrane protein that plays vital roles in glial morphogenesis. We cloned dyf-4 and found that DYF-4 encodes a glia-secreted protein. Further investigations revealed that DYF-4 interacts with DAF-6 and functions in a same pathway as DAF-6 to regulate sensory compartment formation. Furthermore, we demonstrated that reported glial suppressors of daf-6 could also restore dendrite elongation and ciliogenesis in both dyf-4 and daf-6 mutants. Collectively, our data reveal that DYF-4 is a regulator for DAF-6 which promotes the proper formation of the glial channel and indirectly affects neurite extension and ciliogenesis.

In C. elegans sensory organ, the ciliated neuronal endings are wrapped in a luminal channel formed by glial cells, forming a specialized sensory compartment critical for sensory activity. Coordination of glial channel formation, dendritic tip anchoring and ciliogenesis are critical for the formation of a functional sensory compartment. DAF-6, a patched-related glial membrane protein, was reported to play an important role in glial channel morphogenesis, but the molecular function and regulatory mechanism of DAF-6 remain poorly understood. Here, we found that DYF-4, a glia-secreted protein, interacts and colocalizes with DAF-6, and functions in a same pathway as DAF-6 to regulate sensory compartment formation. We propose that DYF-4 is a novel regulator for DAF-6 to control sensory compartment formation.

Vitamin B12 Regulates Glial Migration and Synapse Formation through Isoform-Specific Control of PTP-3/LAR PRTP Expression

Vitamin B12 is known to play critical roles during the development and aging of the brain, and vitamin B12 deficiency has been linked to neurodevelopmental and degenerative disorders. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of how vitamin B12 affects the development and maintenance of the nervous system are still unclear. Here, we report that vitamin B12 can regulate glial migration and synapse formation through control of isoform-specific expression of PTP-3/LAR PRTP (leukocyte-common antigen-related receptor-type tyrosine-protein phosphatase). We found the uptake of diet-supplied vitamin B12 in the intestine to be critical for the expression of a long isoform of PTP-3 (PTP-3A) in neuronal and glial cells. The expression of PTP-3A cell autonomously regulates glial migration and synapse formation through interaction with an extracellular matrix protein NID-1/nidogen 1. Together, our findings demonstrate that isoform-specific regulation of PTP-3/ LAR PRTP expression is a key molecular mechanism that mediates vitamin-B12-dependent neuronal and glial development.

Glia actively sculpt sensory neurons by controlled phagocytosis to tune animal behavior

Glia in the central nervous system engulf neuron fragments to remodel synapses and recycle photoreceptor outer segments. Whether glia passively clear shed neuronal debris or actively prune neuron fragments is unknown. How pruning of single-neuron endings impacts animal behavior is also unclear. Here, we report our discovery of glia-directed neuron pruning in Caenorhabditis elegans. Adult C. elegans AMsh glia engulf sensory endings of the AFD thermosensory neuron by repurposing components of the conserved apoptotic corpse phagocytosis machinery. The phosphatidylserine (PS) flippase TAT-1/ATP8A functions with glial PS-receptor PSR-1/PSR and PAT-2/α-integrin to initiate engulfment. This activates glial CED-10/Rac1 GTPase through the ternary GEF complex of CED-2/CrkII, CED-5/DOCK180, CED-12/ELMO. Execution of phagocytosis uses the actin-remodeler WSP-1/nWASp. This process dynamically tracks AFD activity and is regulated by temperature, the AFD sensory input. Importantly, glial CED-10 levels regulate engulfment rates downstream of neuron activity, and engulfment-defective mutants exhibit altered AFD-ending shape and thermosensory behavior. Our findings reveal a molecular pathway underlying glia-dependent engulfment in a peripheral sense-organ and demonstrate that glia actively engulf neuron fragments, with profound consequences on neuron shape and animal sensory behavior.

Neurons are tree-shaped cells that receive information through endings connected to neighbouring cells or the environment. Controlling the size, number and location of these endings is necessary to ensure that circuits of neurons get precisely the right amount of input from their surroundings.

Glial cells form a large portion of the nervous system, and they are tasked with supporting, cleaning and protecting neurons. In humans, part of their duties is to ‘eat’ (or prune) unnecessary neuron endings. In fact, this role is so important that defects in glial pruning are associated with conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. Yet it is still unknown how pruning takes place, and in particular whether it is the neuron or the glial cell that initiates the process.

To investigate this question, Raiders et al. enlisted the common laboratory animal Caenorhabditis elegans, a tiny worm with a simple nervous system where each neuron has been meticulously mapped out. First, the experiments showed that glial cells in C. elegans actually prune the endings of sensory neurons. Focusing on a single glia-neuron pair then revealed that the glial cell could trim the endings of a living neuron by redeploying the same molecular machinery it uses to clear dead cell debris. Compared to this debris-clearing activity, however, the glial cell takes a more nuanced approach to pruning: specifically, it can adjust the amount of trimming based on the activity load of the neuron.

When Raiders et al. disrupted the glial pruning for a single temperature-sensing neuron, the worm lost its normal temperature preferences; this demonstrated how the pruning activity of a single glial cell can be linked to behavior.

Taken together the experiments showcase how C. elegans can be used to study glial pruning. Further work using this model could help to understand how disease emerges when glial cells cannot perform their role, and to spot the genetic factors that put certain individuals at increased risk for neurological and sensory disorders.

Functional properties of insect olfactory receptors: ionotropic receptors and odorant receptors

The majority of insect olfactory receptors belong to two distinct protein families, the ionotropic receptors (IRs), which are related to the ionotropic glutamate receptor family, and the odorant receptors (ORs), which evolved from the gustatory receptor family. Both receptor types assemble to heteromeric ligand-gated cation channels composed of odor-specific receptor proteins and co-receptor proteins. We here present in short the current view on evolution, function, and regulation of IRs and ORs. Special attention is given on how their functional properties can meet the environmental and ecological challenges an insect has to face.

Behaviorally consequential astrocytic regulation of neural circuits

Astrocytes are a large and diverse population of morphologically complex cells that exist throughout nervous systems of multiple species. Progress over the last two decades has shown that astrocytes mediate developmental, physiological, and pathological processes. However, a long-standing open question is how astrocytes regulate neural circuits in ways that are behaviorally consequential. In this regard, we summarize recent studies using Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, Danio rerio, and Mus musculus. The data reveal diverse astrocyte mechanisms operating in seconds or much longer timescales within neural circuits and shaping multiple behavioral outputs. We also refer to human diseases that have a known primary astrocytic basis. We suggest that including astrocytes in mechanistic, theoretical, and computational studies of neural circuits provides new perspectives to understand behavior, its regulation, and its disease-related manifestations.

Robo functions as an attractive cue for glial migration through SYG-1/Neph

As one of the most-studied receptors, Robo plays functions in many biological processes, and its functions highly depend on Slit, the ligand of Robo. Here we uncover a Slit-independent role of Robo in glial migration and show that neurons can release an extracellular fragment of Robo upon cleavage to attract glia during migration in Caenorhabditis elegans. Furthermore, we identified the conserved cell adhesion molecule SYG-1/Neph as a receptor for the cleaved extracellular Robo fragment to mediate glial migration and SYG-1/Neph functions through regulation of the WAVE complex. Our studies reveal a previously unknown Slit-independent function and regulatory mechanism of Robo and show that the cleaved extracellular fragment of Robo can function as a ligand for SYG-1/Neph to guide glial migration. As Robo, the cleaved region of Robo, and SYG-1/Neph are all highly conserved across the animal kingdom, our findings may present a conserved Slit-independent Robo mechanism during brain development.

Long-term activity drives dendritic branch elaboration of a C. elegans sensory neuron

Neuronal activity often leads to alterations in gene expression and cellular architecture. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, owing to its compact translucent nervous system, is a powerful system in which to study conserved aspects of the development and plasticity of neuronal morphology. Here we focus on one pair of sensory neurons, termed URX, which the worm uses to sense and avoid high levels of environmental oxygen. Previous studies have reported that the URX neuron pair has variable branched endings at its dendritic sensory tip. By controlling oxygen levels and analyzing mutants, we found that these microtubule-rich branched endings grow over time as a consequence of neuronal activity in adulthood. We also find that the growth of these branches correlates with an increase in cellular sensitivity to particular ranges of oxygen that is observable in the behavior of older worms. Given the strengths of C. elegans as a model organism, URX may serve as a potent system for uncovering genes and mechanisms involved in activity-dependent morphological changes in neurons and possible adaptive changes in the aging nervous system.

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The dendritic tip of an oxygen-sensing neuron grows elaborate microtubule-rich processes in adult C. elegans.

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Dendritic tip elaboration depends on the long-term activity of the neuron and calcium.

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The elaboration correlates with increased sensitivity of the neuron to certain ranges of oxygen as well as higher avoidance of oxygen during bordering behavior.

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The dendritic tip changes may reflect adaptive changes in physiology and behavior during adulthood.

Co-option of neurotransmitter signaling for inter-organismal communication in C. elegans

Biogenic amine neurotransmitters play a central role in metazoan biology, and both their chemical structures and cognate receptors are evolutionarily conserved. Their primary roles are in cell-to-cell signaling, as biogenic amines are not normally recruited for communication between separate individuals. Here, we show that in the nematode C. elegans, a neurotransmitter-sensing G protein-coupled receptor, TYRA-2, is required for avoidance responses to osas#9, an ascaroside pheromone that incorporates the neurotransmitter, octopamine. Neuronal ablation, cell-specific genetic rescue, and calcium imaging show that tyra-2 expression in the nociceptive neuron, ASH, is necessary and sufficient to induce osas#9 avoidance. Ectopic expression in the AWA neuron, which is generally associated with attractive responses, reverses the response to osas#9, resulting in attraction instead of avoidance behavior, confirming that TYRA-2 partakes in the sensing of osas#9. The TYRA-2/osas#9 signaling system represents an inter-organismal communication channel that evolved via co-option of a neurotransmitter and its cognate receptor.

Glia-Neuron Interactions in Caenorhabditis elegans

Glia are abundant components of animal nervous systems. Recognized 170 years ago, concerted attempts to understand these cells began only recently. From these investigations glia, once considered passive filler material in the brain, have emerged as active players in neuron development and activity. Glia are essential for nervous system function, and their disruption leads to disease. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans possesses glial types similar to vertebrate glia, based on molecular, morphological, and functional criteria, and has become a powerful model in which to study glia and their neuronal interactions. Facile genetic and transgenic methods in this animal allow the discovery of genes required for glial functions, and effects of glia at single synapses can be monitored by tracking neuron shape, physiology, or animal behavior. Here, we review recent progress in understanding glia-neuron interactions in C. elegans. We highlight similarities with glia in other animals, and suggest conserved emerging principles of glial function.

A neuronal MAP kinase constrains growth of a Caenorhabditis elegans sensory dendrite throughout the life of the organism

Neurons develop elaborate morphologies that provide a model for understanding cellular architecture. By studying C. elegans sensory dendrites, we previously identified genes that act to promote the extension of ciliated sensory dendrites during embryogenesis. Interestingly, the nonciliated dendrite of the oxygen-sensing neuron URX is not affected by these genes, suggesting it develops through a distinct mechanism. Here, we use a visual forward genetic screen to identify mutants that affect URX dendrite morphogenesis. We find that disruption of the MAP kinase MAPK-15 or the βH-spectrin SMA-1 causes a phenotype opposite to what we had seen before: dendrites extend normally during embryogenesis but begin to overgrow as the animals reach adulthood, ultimately extending up to 150% of their normal length. SMA-1 is broadly expressed and acts non-cell-autonomously, while MAPK-15 is expressed in many sensory neurons including URX and acts cell-autonomously. MAPK-15 acts at the time of overgrowth, localizes at the dendrite ending, and requires its kinase activity, suggesting it acts locally in time and space to constrain dendrite growth. Finally, we find that the oxygen-sensing guanylate cyclase GCY-35, which normally localizes at the dendrite ending, is localized throughout the overgrown region, and that overgrowth can be suppressed by overexpressing GCY-35 or by genetically mimicking elevated cGMP signaling. These results suggest that overgrowth may correspond to expansion of a sensory compartment at the dendrite ending, reminiscent of the remodeling of sensory cilia or dendritic spines. Thus, in contrast to established pathways that promote dendrite growth during early development, our results reveal a distinct mechanism that constrains dendrite growth throughout the life of the animal, possibly by controlling the size of a sensory compartment at the dendrite ending.

Model Systems for Exploring the Evolutionary Origins of the Nervous System

The development of nervous systems can be seen as one of the key transitions in animal evolution, allowing the efficient integration of sensory input and motor output and the expedient transmission of impulses over relatively long distances inside an organism. With the increased availability of genome sequences for animals at the base of the metazoan phylogenetic tree, two alternative hypotheses have been proposed regarding nervous system evolutionary origins, ultimately prompting a debate whether an enormously complicated system like the nervous system could have evolved more than once. This review summarizes what is currently known about nervous system origins, concentrating on the evolution of synapse components, with respect to phylogenetic knowledge of early diverging animal groups, comprising members of the Porifera, Ctenophora, Placozoa, and Cnidaria.

Coordinated morphogenesis of neurons and glia

Glia adopt remarkable shapes that are tightly coordinated with the morphologies of their neuronal partners. To achieve these precise shapes, glia and neurons exhibit coordinated morphological changes on the time scale of minutes and on size scales ranging from nanometers to hundreds of microns. Here, we review recent studies that reveal the highly dynamic, localized morphological changes of mammalian neuron-glia contacts. We then explore the power of Drosophila and C. elegans models to study coordinated changes at defined neuron-glia contacts, highlighting the use of innovative genetic and imaging tools to uncover the molecular mechanisms responsible for coordinated morphogenesis of neurons and glia.

Getting Nervous: An Evolutionary Overhaul for Communication

The evolution of a nervous system as a control system of the body's functions is a key innovation of animals. Its fundamental units are neurons, highly specialized cells dedicated to fast cell-cell communication. Neurons pass signals to other neurons, muscle cells, or gland cells at specialized junctions, the synapses, where transmitters are released from vesicles in a Ca²⁺-dependent fashion to activate receptors in the membrane of the target cell. Reconstructing the origins of neuronal communication out of a more simple process remains a central challenge in biology. Recent genomic comparisons have revealed that all animals, including the nerveless poriferans and placozoans, share a basic set of genes for neuronal communication. This suggests that the first animal, the Urmetazoan, was already endowed with neurosecretory cells that probably started to connect into neuronal networks soon afterward. Here, we discuss scenarios for this pivotal transition in animal evolution.

Neuropeptidergic integration of behavior in Trichoplax adhaerens, an animal without synapses

Trichoplax adhaerens is a flat, millimeter-sized marine animal that adheres to surfaces and grazes on algae. Trichoplax displays a repertoire of different feeding behaviors despite the apparent absence of a true nervous system with electrical or chemical synapses. It glides along surfaces to find food, propelled by beating cilia on cells at its ventral surface, and pauses during feeding by arresting ciliary beating. We found that when endomorphin-like peptides are applied to an animal, ciliary beating is arrested, mimicking natural feeding pauses. Antibodies against these neuropeptides label cells that express the neurosecretory proteins and voltage-gated calcium channels implicated in regulated secretion. These cells are embedded in the ventral epithelium, where they comprise only 4% of the total, and are concentrated around the edge of the animal. Each bears a cilium likely to be chemosensory and used to detect algae. Trichoplax pausing during feeding or spontaneously in the absence of food often induce their neighbors to pause as well, even neighbors not in direct contact. Pausing behavior propagates from animal to animal across distances much greater than the signal that diffuses from just one animal, so we presume that the peptides secreted from one animal elicit secretion from nearby animals. Signal amplification by peptide-induced peptide secretion explains how a small number of sensory secretory cells lacking processes and synapses can evoke a wave of peptide secretion across the entire animal to globally arrest ciliary beating and allow pausing during feeding.

IGDB-2, an Ig/FNIII protein, binds the ion channel LGC-34 and controls sensory compartment morphogenesis in C. elegans

Sensory organ glia surround neuronal receptive endings (NREs), forming a specialized compartment important for neuronal activity, and reminiscent of glia-ensheathed synapses in the central nervous system. We previously showed that DAF-6, a Patched-related protein, is required in glia of the C. elegans amphid sensory organ to restrict sensory compartment size. LIT-1, a Nemo-like kinase, and SNX-1, a retromer component, antagonize DAF-6 and promote compartment expansion. To further explore the machinery underlying compartment size control, we sought genes whose inactivation restores normal compartment size to daf-6 mutants. We found that mutations in igdb-2, encoding a single-pass transmembrane protein containing Ig-like and fibronectin type III domains, suppress daf-6 mutant defects. IGDB-2 acts in glia, where it localizes to glial membranes surrounding NREs, and, together with LIT-1 and SNX-1, regulates compartment morphogenesis. Immunoprecipitation followed by mass spectrometry demonstrates that IGDB-2 binds to LGC-34, a predicted ligand-gated ion channel, and lgc-34 mutations inhibit igdb-2 suppression of daf-6. Our findings reveal a novel membrane protein complex and suggest possible mechanisms for how sensory compartment size is controlled.

Ionotropic Receptors Identified within the Tentacle of the Freshwater Snail Biomphalaria glabrata, an Intermediate Host of Schistosoma mansoni

Biomphalaria glabrata (B. glabrata) is an air-breathing aquatic mollusc found in freshwater habitats across the Western Hemisphere. It is most well-known for its recognized capacity to act as a major intermediate host for Schistosoma mansoni, the human blood fluke parasite. Ionotropic receptors (IRs), a variant family of the ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluR), have an evolutionary ancient function in detecting odors to initiate chemosensory signaling. In this study, we applied an array of methods towards the goal of identifying IR-like family members in B. glabrata, ultimately revealing two types, the iGluR and IR. Sequence alignment showed that three ligand-binding residues are conserved in most Biomphalaria iGluR sequences, while the IRs did exhibit a variable pattern, lacking some or all known glutamate-interactingresidues, supporting their distinct classification from the iGluRs. We show that B. glabrata contains 7 putative IRs, some of which are expressed within its chemosensory organs. To further investigate a role for the more ancient IR25a type in chemoreception, we tested its spatial distribution pattern within the snail cephalic tentacle by in situ hybridization. The presence of IR25a within presumptive sensory neurons supports a role for this receptor in olfactory processing, contributing to our understanding of the molecular pathways that are involved in Biomphalaria olfactory processing.

[The effect of glial cells in the function and development of the nervous system in Caenorhabditis elegans]

There are three types of glial cells in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans for short): sheath glia, socket glia and glutamate receptor glia. They are mainly located in four sensory organs including the amphid, the cephalic organ, the outer labial sensilla and the inner labial sensilla. C. elegans glial cells play key roles in dendrite extension, neurite guidance and extension, and are essential for synaptogenesis and maintain the normal morphology and the function of sensory nerve endings as well. A recent study shown that some nematode neurons are derived from the glial cells. Moreover, nematodes glial cells can directly modulate the function of sensory neurons. Some glial cells can also respond to certain external stimuli, such as mechanical stimulation, and adjust the accompanying neuronal activities.The article summarizes the progress on effects of nematodes glial cells on the nervous system development and function.

A Glial K/Cl Transporter Controls Neuronal Receptive Ending Shape by Chloride Inhibition of an rGC

Neurons receive input from the outside world or from other neurons through neuronal receptive endings (NREs). Glia envelop NREs to create specialized microenvironments; however, glial functions at these sites are poorly understood. Here, we report a molecular mechanism by which glia control NRE shape and associated animal behavior. The C. elegans AMsh glial cell ensheathes the NREs of 12 neurons, including the thermosensory neuron AFD. KCC-3, a K/Cl transporter, localizes specifically to a glial microdomain surrounding AFD receptive ending microvilli, where it regulates K(+) and Cl(-) levels. We find that Cl(-) ions function as direct inhibitors of an NRE-localized receptor-guanylyl-cyclase, GCY-8, which synthesizes cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). High cGMP mediates the effects of glial KCC-3 on AFD shape by antagonizing the actin regulator WSP-1/NWASP. Components of this pathway are broadly expressed throughout the nervous system, suggesting that ionic regulation of the NRE microenvironment may be a conserved mechanism by which glia control neuron shape and function.

Molecular Mechanisms of Reception and Perireception in Crustacean Chemoreception: A Comparative Review

This review summarizes our present knowledge of chemoreceptor proteins in crustaceans, using a comparative perspective to review these molecules in crustaceans relative to other metazoan models of chemoreception including mammals, insects, nematodes, and molluscs. Evolution has resulted in unique expansions of specific gene families and repurposing of them for chemosensation in various clades, including crustaceans. A major class of chemoreceptor proteins across crustaceans is the Ionotropic Receptors, which diversified from ionotropic glutamate receptors in ancient protostomes but which are not present in deuterostomes. Representatives of another major class of chemoreceptor proteins-the Grl/GR/OR family of ionotropic 7-transmembrane receptors-are diversified in insects but to date have been reported in only one crustacean species, Daphnia pulex So far, canonic 7-transmembrane G-protein coupled receptors, the principal chemoreceptors in vertebrates and reported in a few protostome clades, have not been identified in crustaceans. More types of chemoreceptors are known throughout the metazoans and might well be expected to be discovered in crustaceans. Our review also provides a comparative coverage of perireceptor events in crustacean chemoreception, including molecules involved in stimulus acquisition, stimulus delivery, and stimulus removal, though much less is known about these events in crustaceans, particularly at the molecular level.

PROS-1/Prospero Is a Major Regulator of the Glia-Specific Secretome Controlling Sensory-Neuron Shape and Function in C. elegans

Sensory neurons are an animal's gateway to the world, and their receptive endings, the sites of sensory signal transduction, are often associated with glia. Although glia are known to promote sensory-neuron functions, the molecular bases of these interactions are poorly explored. Here, we describe a post-developmental glial role for the PROS-1/Prospero/PROX1 homeodomain protein in sensory-neuron function in C. elegans. Using glia expression profiling, we demonstrate that, unlike previously characterized cell fate roles, PROS-1 functions post-embryonically to control sense-organ glia-specific secretome expression. PROS-1 functions cell autonomously to regulate glial secretion and membrane structure, and non-cell autonomously to control the shape and function of the receptive endings of sensory neurons. Known glial genes controlling sensory-neuron function are PROS-1 targets, and we identify additional PROS-1-dependent genes required for neuron attributes. Drosophila Prospero and vertebrate PROX1 are expressed in post-mitotic sense-organ glia and astrocytes, suggesting conserved roles for this class of transcription factors.

Evolution: ctenophore genomes and the origin of neurons

Recent sequencing of ctenophore genomes opens a new era in the study of this unique and phylogenetically distant group. The presence of neurodevelopmental genes, pre- and postsynaptic modules, and transmitter molecules is consistent with a single origin of neurons.

The more we know, the more we have to discover: an exciting future for understanding cilia and ciliopathies

The Cilia 2014 conference was organised by four European networks: the Ciliopathy Alliance, the Groupement de Recherche CIL, the Nordic Cilia and Centrosome Network and the EU FP7 programme SYSCILIA. More than 400 delegates from 27 countries gathered at the Institut Pasteur conference centre in Paris, including 30 patients and patient representatives. The meeting offered a unique opportunity for exchange between different scientific and medical communities. Major highlights included new discoveries about the roles of motile and immotile cilia during development and homeostasis, the mechanism of cilium construction, as well as progress in diagnosis and possible treatment of ciliopathies. The contributions to the cilia field of flagellated infectious eukaryotes and of systems biology were also presented.

Imaging cilia in Drosophila melanogaster

Drosophila melanogaster is a powerful genetic model organism to understand the function of proteins in specific cellular processes. Cilia have been extensively studied in Drosophila playing various sensory functions that are essential for fly survival. Indeed, flies defective in cilia formation cannot walk, fly, or feed properly. Drosophila harbors different types of cilia that can be motile or immotile or that can show compartimentalized (intraflagellar transport (IFT)-dependent) or cytoplasmic (IFT-independent) mode of assembly. Therefore, Drosophila represents an advantageous model organism to study the function of novel ciliary candidates and to address specific questions such as their requirement for IFT-dependent processes versus other aspects of cilia-associated functions. This chapter describes protocols to visualize cilia by direct or indirect fluorescent labeling and protocols to analyze ciliary ultrastructure by electron microscopy.

Glial development and function in the nervous system of Caenorhabditis elegans

The nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, has served as a fruitful setting for understanding conserved biological processes. The past decade has seen the rise of this model organism as an important tool for uncovering the mysteries of the glial cell, which partners with neurons to generate a functioning nervous system in all animals. C. elegans affords unparalleled single-cell resolution in vivo in examining glia-neuron interactions, and similarities between C. elegans and vertebrate glia suggest that lessons learned from this nematode are likely to have general implications. Here, I summarize what has been gleaned over the past decade since C. elegans glia research became a concerted area of focus. Studies have revealed that glia are essential elements of a functioning C. elegans nervous system and play key roles in its development. Importantly, glial influence on neuronal function appears to be dynamic. Key questions for the field to address in the near- and long-term have emerged, and these are discussed within.

Sex, age, and hunger regulate behavioral prioritization through dynamic modulation of chemoreceptor expression

BACKGROUND

Adaptive behavioral prioritization requires flexible outputs from fixed neural circuits. In C. elegans, the prioritization of feeding versus mate searching depends on biological sex (males will abandon food to search for mates, whereas hermaphrodites will not) as well as developmental stage and feeding status. Previously, we found that males are less attracted than hermaphrodites to the food-associated odorant diacetyl, suggesting that sensory modulation may contribute to behavioral prioritization.

RESULTS

We show that somatic sex acts cell autonomously to reconfigure the olfactory circuit by regulating a key chemoreceptor, odr-10, in the AWA neurons. Moreover, we find that odr-10 has a significant role in food detection, the regulation of which contributes to sex differences in behavioral prioritization. Overexpression of odr-10 increases male food attraction and decreases off-food exploration; conversely, loss of odr-10 impairs food taxis in both sexes. In larvae, both sexes prioritize feeding over exploration; correspondingly, the sexes have equal odr-10 expression and food attraction. Food deprivation, which transiently favors feeding over exploration in adult males, increases male food attraction by activating odr-10 expression. Furthermore, the weak expression of odr-10 in well-fed adult males has important adaptive value, allowing males to efficiently locate mates in a patchy food environment.

CONCLUSIONS

We find that modulated expression of a single chemoreceptor plays a key role in naturally occurring variation in the prioritization of feeding and exploration. The convergence of three independent regulatory inputs--somatic sex, age, and feeding status--on chemoreceptor expression highlights sensory function as a key source of plasticity in neural circuits.

Structural evolution of cell types by step-wise assembly of cellular modules

Cell types are composed of cellular modules exerting specific subfunctions. The evolutionary emergence and diversification of these modules can be tracked through the comparative analysis of genomes. Here, we survey recent advances elucidating the origin of neurons, of smooth and striated muscle cells and of the T- and B-cells of the immune system in the diverging lineages of animal evolution. Gene presence and absence analyses in various metazoan genomes allow mapping the step-wise assembly of key modules - such as the postsynaptic density characteristic for neurons or the z-disk characteristic for striated muscle - on the animal evolutionary tree. Using this approach, first insight into the structural evolution of cell types can be gained.

Caenorhabditis elegans glia modulate neuronal activity and behavior

Glial cells of Caenorhabditis elegans can modulate neuronal activity and behavior, which is the focus of this review. Initially, we provide an overview of neuroglial evolution, making a comparison between C. elegans glia and their genealogical counterparts. What follows is a brief discussion on C. elegans glia characteristics in terms of their exact numbers, germ layers origin, their necessity for proper development of sensory organs, and lack of their need for neuronal survival. The more specific roles that various glial cells have on neuron-based activity/behavior are succinctly presented. The cephalic sheath glia are important for development, maintenance and activity of central synapses, whereas the amphid glia seem to set the tone of sensory synapses; these glial cell types are ectoderm-derived. Mesoderm-derived Glial-Like cells in the nerve Ring (GLRs) appear to be a part of the circuit for production of motor movement of the worm anterior. Finally, we discuss tools and approaches utilized in studying C. elegans glia, which are assets available for this animal, making it an appealing model, not only in neurosciences, but in biology in general.

Mechanisms underlying odorant-induced and spontaneous calcium signals in olfactory receptor neurons of spiny lobsters, Panulirus argus

We determined if a newly developed antennule slice preparation allows studying chemosensory properties of spiny lobster olfactory receptor neurons under in situ conditions with Ca(2+) imaging. We show that chemical stimuli reach the dendrites of olfactory receptor neurons but not their somata, and that odorant-induced Ca(2+) signals in the somata are sufficiently stable over time to allow stimulation with a substantial number of odorants. Pharmacological manipulations served to elucidate the source of odorant-induced Ca(2+) transients and spontaneous Ca(2+) oscillations in the somata of olfactory receptor neurons. Both Ca(2+) signals are primarily mediated by an influx of extracellular Ca(2+) through voltage-activated Ca(2+) channels that can be blocked by CoCl2 and the L-type Ca(2+) channel blocker verapamil. Intracellular Ca(2+) stores contribute little to odorant-induced Ca(2+) transients and spontaneous Ca(2+) oscillations. The odorant-induced Ca(2+) transients as well as the spontaneous Ca(2+) oscillations depend on action potentials mediated by Na(+) channels that are largely TTX-insensitive but blocked by the local anesthetics tetracaine and lidocaine. Collectively, these results corroborate the conclusion that odorant-induced Ca(2+) transients and spontaneous Ca(2+) oscillations in the somata of olfactory receptor neurons closely reflect action potential activity associated with odorant-induced phasic-tonic responses and spontaneous bursting, respectively. Therefore, both types of Ca(2+) signals represent experimentally accessible proxies of spiking.

Phagocytic glial cells: sculpting synaptic circuits in the developing nervous system

In the developing nervous system, synaptic connections are formed in excess and must remodel to achieve the precise synaptic connectivity characteristic of the mature organism. Synaptic pruning is a developmental process in which subsets of synapses are eliminated while the remaining synapses are preserved and strengthened. Recent findings have demonstrated unexpected roles for glial cells in this developmental process. These data demonstrate that phagocytic glia engulf synaptic and/or axonal elements in the developing nervous system and disruptions in this process result in sustained deficits in synaptic connectivity. These new findings highlight the importance of glia for nervous system development and function and may shed new light on mechanisms underlying nervous system disease.

Primary cilia and dendritic spines: different but similar signaling compartments

Primary non-motile cilia and dendritic spines are cellular compartments that are specialized to sense and transduce environmental cues and presynaptic signals, respectively. Despite their unique cellular roles, both compartments exhibit remarkable parallels in the general principles, as well as molecular mechanisms, by which their protein composition, membrane domain architecture, cellular interactions, and structural and functional plasticity are regulated. We compare and contrast the pathways required for the generation and function of cilia and dendritic spines, and suggest that insights from the study of one may inform investigations into the other of these critically important signaling structures.

A gap junction circuit enhances processing of coincident mechanosensory inputs

Electrical synapses have been shown to be important for enabling and detecting neuronal synchrony in both vertebrates [1–4] and invertebrates [5, 6]. Hub-and-spoke circuits, in which a central hub neuron is electrically coupled to several input neurons, are an overrepresented motif in the C. elegans nervous system [7] and may represent a conserved functional unit. The functional relevance of this configuration has been demonstrated for circuits mediating aggregation behavior [8] and nose touch perception [9]. Modeling approaches have been useful for understanding structurally and dynamically more complex electrical circuits [10, 11]. Therefore, we formulated a simple analytical model with minimal assumptions to obtain insight into the properties of the hub-and-spoke microcircuit motif. A key prediction of the model is that an active input neuron should facilitate activity throughout the network, whereas an inactive input should suppress network activity through shunting; this prediction was supported by cell ablation and in vivo neuroimaging experiments in the C. elegans nose touch circuit. Thus, the hub-and-spoke architecture may implement an analog coincidence detector enabling distinct responses to distributed and localized patterns of sensory input.

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A model hub-and-spoke circuit defines a role for shunting in sensory processing

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Nonrectifying gap junctions allow inactive neurons to inhibit network activity

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Shunting and lateral facilitation both contribute to nose touch perception

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The hub-and-spoke microcircuit mediates analog coincidence detection

Glia delimit shape changes of sensory neuron receptive endings in C. elegans

Neuronal receptive endings, such as dendritic spines and sensory protrusions, are structurally remodeled by experience. How receptive endings acquire their remodeled shapes is not well understood. In response to environmental stressors, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans enters a diapause state, termed dauer, which is accompanied by remodeling of sensory neuron receptive endings. Here, we demonstrate that sensory receptive endings of the AWC neurons in dauers remodel in the confines of a compartment defined by the amphid sheath (AMsh) glial cell that envelops these endings. AMsh glia remodel concomitantly with and independently of AWC receptive endings to delimit AWC receptive ending growth. Remodeling of AMsh glia requires the OTD/OTX transcription factor TTX-1, the fusogen AFF-1 and probably the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFR)-related protein VER-1, all acting within the glial cell. ver-1 expression requires direct binding of TTX-1 to ver-1 regulatory sequences, and is induced in dauers and at high temperatures. Our results demonstrate that stimulus-induced changes in glial compartment size provide spatial constraints on neuronal receptive ending growth.

Functional architecture of olfactory ionotropic glutamate receptors

VIDEO ABSTRACT

Ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) are ligand-gated ion channels that mediate chemical communication between neurons at synapses. A variant iGluR subfamily, the Ionotropic Receptors (IRs), was recently proposed to detect environmental volatile chemicals in olfactory cilia. Here, we elucidate how these peripheral chemosensors have evolved mechanistically from their iGluR ancestors. Using a Drosophila model, we demonstrate that IRs act in combinations of up to three subunits, comprising individual odor-specific receptors and one or two broadly expressed coreceptors. Heteromeric IR complex formation is necessary and sufficient for trafficking to cilia and mediating odor-evoked electrophysiological responses in vivo and in vitro. IRs display heterogeneous ion conduction specificities related to their variable pore sequences, and divergent ligand-binding domains function in odor recognition and cilia localization. Our results provide insights into the conserved and distinct architecture of these olfactory and synaptic ion channels and offer perspectives into the use of IRs as genetically encoded chemical sensors.

Dye-filling of the amphid sheath glia: implications for the functional relationship between sensory neurons and glia in Caenorhabditis elegans

The nervous system is composed of cells including neurons and glia. It has been believed that the former cells play central roles in various neural functions while the latter ones have only supportive functions for neurons. However, recent findings suggest that glial cells actively participate in neural activities, and the cooperation between neurons and glia is important for nervous system functions. In Caenorhabditis elegans, amphid sensory organs in the head also consist of sensory neurons and glia-like support cells (amphid socket and amphid sheath cells). Ciliary endings of some sensory neurons exposed to the environment detect various chemicals, molecules and signals, and the cilia of some neurons can also take up fluorescent dyes such as DiI. Here, we show that the amphid sheath glia are also stained with DiI and that its uptake by the amphid sheath cells correlates with DiI-filling of sensory neurons, suggesting that the amphid sheath glia might interact with sensory neurons. Furthermore, the localization of the amphid sheath cell reporter F52E1.2SP::YFP is abnormal in che-2 mutants, which have defective cilia. These findings imply that sensory neurons might affect amphid sheath glia functions in the amphid sensory organ of C. elegans.

Origin and early evolution of neural circuits for the control of ciliary locomotion

Behaviour evolved before nervous systems. Various single-celled eukaryotes (protists) and the ciliated larvae of sponges devoid of neurons can display sophisticated behaviours, including phototaxis, gravitaxis or chemotaxis. In single-celled eukaryotes, sensory inputs directly influence the motor behaviour of the cell. In swimming sponge larvae, sensory cells influence the activity of cilia on the same cell, thereby steering the multicellular larva. In these organisms, the efficiency of sensory-to-motor transformation (defined as the ratio of sensory cells to total cell number) is low. With the advent of neurons, signal amplification and fast, long-range communication between sensory and motor cells became possible. This may have first occurred in a ciliated swimming stage of the first eumetazoans. The first axons may have had en passant synaptic contacts to several ciliated cells to improve the efficiency of sensory-to-motor transformation, thereby allowing a reduction in the number of sensory cells tuned for the same input. This could have allowed the diversification of sensory modalities and of the behavioural repertoire. I propose that the first nervous systems consisted of combined sensory-motor neurons, directly translating sensory input into motor output on locomotor ciliated cells and steering muscle cells. Neuronal circuitry with low levels of integration has been retained in cnidarians and in the ciliated larvae of some marine invertebrates. This parallel processing stage could have been the starting point for the evolution of more integrated circuits performing the first complex computations such as persistence or coincidence detection. The sensory-motor nervous systems of cnidarians and ciliated larvae of diverse phyla show that brains, like all biological structures, are not irreducibly complex.

The glia of Caenorhabditis elegans

Glia have been, in many ways, the proverbial elephant in the room. Although glia are as numerous as neurons in vertebrate nervous systems, technical and other concerns had left research on these cells languishing, whereas research on neurons marched on. Importantly, model systems to study glia had lagged considerably behind. A concerted effort in recent years to develop the canonical invertebrate model animals, Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans, as settings to understand glial roles in nervous system development and function has begun to bear fruit. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of glia and their roles in the nervous system of the nematode C. elegans. The recent studies we describe highlight the similarities and differences between C. elegans and vertebrate glia, and focus on novel insights that are likely to have general relevance to all nervous systems.

Ancient protostome origin of chemosensory ionotropic glutamate receptors and the evolution of insect taste and olfaction

Ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) are a highly conserved family of ligand-gated ion channels present in animals, plants, and bacteria, which are best characterized for their roles in synaptic communication in vertebrate nervous systems. A variant subfamily of iGluRs, the Ionotropic Receptors (IRs), was recently identified as a new class of olfactory receptors in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, hinting at a broader function of this ion channel family in detection of environmental, as well as intercellular, chemical signals. Here, we investigate the origin and evolution of IRs by comprehensive evolutionary genomics and in situ expression analysis. In marked contrast to the insect-specific Odorant Receptor family, we show that IRs are expressed in olfactory organs across Protostomia--a major branch of the animal kingdom that encompasses arthropods, nematodes, and molluscs--indicating that they represent an ancestral protostome chemosensory receptor family. Two subfamilies of IRs are distinguished: conserved "antennal IRs," which likely define the first olfactory receptor family of insects, and species-specific "divergent IRs," which are expressed in peripheral and internal gustatory neurons, implicating this family in taste and food assessment. Comparative analysis of drosophilid IRs reveals the selective forces that have shaped the repertoires in flies with distinct chemosensory preferences. Examination of IR gene structure and genomic distribution suggests both non-allelic homologous recombination and retroposition contributed to the expansion of this multigene family. Together, these findings lay a foundation for functional analysis of these receptors in both neurobiological and evolutionary studies. Furthermore, this work identifies novel targets for manipulating chemosensory-driven behaviours of agricultural pests and disease vectors.

Assisted morphogenesis: glial control of dendrite shapes

Neurons display a myriad of dendritic architectures, reflecting their diverse roles in information processing and transduction in the nervous system. Recent findings suggest that neuronal signals may not account for all aspects of dendrite morphogenesis. Observations from C. elegans and other organisms suggest that glial cells can affect dendrite length and guidance, as well as localization and shapes of dendritic receptive structures, such as dendritic spines and sensory cilia. Thus, besides direct roles in controlling neuronal activity, glia contribute to neuron function by ensuring that neurons attain their proper shapes.