1
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Fryer E, Guha S, Rogel-Hernandez LE, Logan-Garbisch T, Farah H, Rezaei E, Mollhoff IN, Nekimken AL, Xu A, Seyahi LS, Fechner S, Druckmann S, Clandinin TR, Rhee SY, Goodman MB. A high-throughput behavioral screening platform for measuring chemotaxis by C. elegans. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002672. [PMID: 38935621 PMCID: PMC11210793 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002672] [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: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Throughout history, humans have relied on plants as a source of medication, flavoring, and food. Plants synthesize large chemical libraries and release many of these compounds into the rhizosphere and atmosphere where they affect animal and microbe behavior. To survive, nematodes must have evolved the sensory capacity to distinguish plant-made small molecules (SMs) that are harmful and must be avoided from those that are beneficial and should be sought. This ability to classify chemical cues as a function of their value is fundamental to olfaction and represents a capacity shared by many animals, including humans. Here, we present an efficient platform based on multiwell plates, liquid handling instrumentation, inexpensive optical scanners, and bespoke software that can efficiently determine the valence (attraction or repulsion) of single SMs in the model nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans. Using this integrated hardware-wetware-software platform, we screened 90 plant SMs and identified 37 that attracted or repelled wild-type animals but had no effect on mutants defective in chemosensory transduction. Genetic dissection indicates that for at least 10 of these SMs, response valence emerges from the integration of opposing signals, arguing that olfactory valence is often determined by integrating chemosensory signals over multiple lines of information. This study establishes that C. elegans is an effective discovery engine for determining chemotaxis valence and for identifying natural products detected by the chemosensory nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Fryer
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Sujay Guha
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Lucero E. Rogel-Hernandez
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Theresa Logan-Garbisch
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Hodan Farah
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Ehsan Rezaei
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Iris N. Mollhoff
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Adam L. Nekimken
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Angela Xu
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Lara Selin Seyahi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Sylvia Fechner
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Shaul Druckmann
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Thomas R. Clandinin
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Seung Y. Rhee
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Miriam B. Goodman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
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2
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Kim AT, Li S, Kim Y, You YJ, Park Y. Food preference-based screening method for identification of effectors of substance use disorders using Caenorhabditis elegans. Life Sci 2024; 345:122580. [PMID: 38514005 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2024.122580] [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: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Substance use disorder (SUD) affects over 48 million Americans aged 12 and over. Thus, identifying novel chemicals contributing to SUD will be critical for developing efficient prevention and mitigation strategies. Considering the complexity of the actions and effects of these substances on human behavior, a high-throughput platform using a living organism is ideal. We developed a quick and easy screening assay using Caenorhabditis elegans. C. elegans prefers high-quality food (Escherichia coli HB101) over low-quality food (Bacillus megaterium), with a food preference index of approximately 0.2, defined as the difference in the number of worms at E. coli HB101 and B. megaterium over the total worm number. The food preference index was significantly increased by loperamide, a μ-opioid receptor (MOPR) agonist, and decreased by naloxone, a MOPR antagonist. These changes depended on npr-17, a C. elegans homolog of opioid receptors. In addition, the food preference index was significantly increased by arachidonyl-2'-chloroethylamide, a cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1R) agonist, and decreased by rimonabant, a CB1R inverse agonist. These changes depended on npr-19, a homolog of CB1R. These results suggest that the conserved opioid and endocannabinoid systems modulate the food preference behaviors of C. elegans. Finally, the humanoid C. elegans strains where npr-17 was replaced with human MOPR and where npr-19 was replaced with human CB1R phenocopied the changes in food preference by the drug treatment. Together, the current results show that this method can be used to rapidly screen the potential effectors of MOPR and CB1R to yield results highly translatable to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Taehwan Kim
- Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Sida Li
- Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Yoo Kim
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Young-Jai You
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Yeonhwa Park
- Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
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3
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Fryer E, Guha S, Rogel-Hernandez LE, Logan-Garbisch T, Farah H, Rezaei E, Mollhoff IN, Nekimken AL, Xu A, Selin Seyahi L, Fechner S, Druckmann S, Clandinin TR, Rhee SY, Goodman MB. An efficient behavioral screening platform classifies natural products and other chemical cues according to their chemosensory valence in C. elegans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.06.02.542933. [PMID: 37333363 PMCID: PMC10274637 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.02.542933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Throughout history, humans have relied on plants as a source of medication, flavoring, and food. Plants synthesize large chemical libraries and release many of these compounds into the rhizosphere and atmosphere where they affect animal and microbe behavior. To survive, nematodes must have evolved the sensory capacity to distinguish plant-made small molecules (SMs) that are harmful and must be avoided from those that are beneficial and should be sought. This ability to classify chemical cues as a function of their value is fundamental to olfaction, and represents a capacity shared by many animals, including humans. Here, we present an efficient platform based on multi-well plates, liquid handling instrumentation, inexpensive optical scanners, and bespoke software that can efficiently determine the valence (attraction or repulsion) of single SMs in the model nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans. Using this integrated hardware-wetware-software platform, we screened 90 plant SMs and identified 37 that attracted or repelled wild-type animals, but had no effect on mutants defective in chemosensory transduction. Genetic dissection indicates that for at least 10 of these SMs, response valence emerges from the integration of opposing signals, arguing that olfactory valence is often determined by integrating chemosensory signals over multiple lines of information. This study establishes that C. elegans is an effective discovery engine for determining chemotaxis valence and for identifying natural products detected by the chemosensory nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Fryer
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University
| | - Sujay Guha
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University
| | | | - Theresa Logan-Garbisch
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, Stanford University
| | - Hodan Farah
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University
| | - Ehsan Rezaei
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University
| | - Iris N. Mollhoff
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University
- Department of Biology, Stanford University
| | - Adam L. Nekimken
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University
| | - Angela Xu
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science
| | - Lara Selin Seyahi
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University
| | - Sylvia Fechner
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University
| | | | | | - Seung Y. Rhee
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science
| | - Miriam B. Goodman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University
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4
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Zhang J, Yang W, Li Z, Huang F, Zhang K. Multigenerational exposure of cadmium trans-generationally impairs locomotive and chemotactic behaviors in Caenorhabditis elegans. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 325:138432. [PMID: 36933370 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Cadmium is a naturally existing heavy metal and a notorious environmental pollutant. While its toxic outcomes and underlying mechanisms remain largely elusive. To explore the behavioral change caused by multigenerational exposure of cadmium to C. elegans, we challenged the C. elegans with cadmium for six generations and observed its impact on animal behaviors. Wild-type worms were randomly divided into two groups, the control and cadmium exposure groups. Locomotive and chemotactic behaviors were observed across six generations. Head thrashing frequency, chemotaxis index, and fold change index were used to evaluate the neurotoxicity of multigenerational cadmium exposure. Multigenerational cadmium exposure can trans-generationally increase the head thrashing frequency of C. elegans during swimming, and impair the chemotactic behaviors to isoamyl alcohol, diacetyl, and 2-nonanone. Our findings proposed a trans-generationally behavioral impact induced by multigenerational cadmium exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Zhang
- Department of Forensic Pathology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, PR China
| | - Wenxing Yang
- Department of Physiology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, PR China
| | - Zhuo Li
- Department of Forensic Pathology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, PR China
| | - Feijun Huang
- Department of Forensic Pathology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, PR China
| | - Kui Zhang
- Department of Forensic Pathology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, PR China.
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5
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Chaubey AH, Sojka SE, Onukwufor JO, Ezak MJ, Vandermeulen MD, Bowitch A, Vodičková A, Wojtovich AP, Ferkey DM. The Caenorhabditis elegans innexin INX-20 regulates nociceptive behavioral sensitivity. Genetics 2023; 223:iyad017. [PMID: 36753530 PMCID: PMC10319955 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad017] [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: 09/03/2022] [Revised: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Organisms rely on chemical cues in their environment to indicate the presence or absence of food, reproductive partners, predators, or other harmful stimuli. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the bilaterally symmetric pair of ASH sensory neurons serves as the primary nociceptors. ASH activation by aversive stimuli leads to backward locomotion and stimulus avoidance. We previously reported a role for guanylyl cyclases in dampening nociceptive sensitivity that requires an innexin-based gap junction network to pass cGMP between neurons. Here, we report that animals lacking function of the gap junction component INX-20 are hypersensitive in their behavioral response to both soluble and volatile chemical stimuli that signal through G protein-coupled receptor pathways in ASH. We find that expressing inx-20 in the ADL and AFD sensory neurons is sufficient to dampen ASH sensitivity, which is supported by new expression analysis of endogenous INX-20 tagged with mCherry via the CRISPR-Cas9 system. Although ADL does not form gap junctions directly with ASH, it does so via gap junctions with the interneuron RMG and the sensory neuron ASK. Ablating either ADL or RMG and ASK also resulted in nociceptive hypersensitivity, suggesting an important role for RMG/ASK downstream of ADL in the ASH modulatory circuit. This work adds to our growing understanding of the repertoire of ways by which ASH activity is regulated via its connectivity to other neurons and identifies a previously unknown role for ADL and RMG in the modulation of aversive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi H Chaubey
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Savannah E Sojka
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - John O Onukwufor
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Meredith J Ezak
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Matthew D Vandermeulen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Alexander Bowitch
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Anežka Vodičková
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Andrew P Wojtovich
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Denise M Ferkey
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
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6
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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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7
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Wang D, Ma N, Rao W, Zhang Y. Recent Advances in Life History Transition with Nematode-Trapping Fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora and Its Application in Sustainable Agriculture. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12030367. [PMID: 36986289 PMCID: PMC10056792 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12030367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasitic nematodes cause great annual loss in the agricultural industry globally. Arthrobotrys oligospora is the most prevalent and common nematode-trapping fungus (NTF) in the environment and the candidate for the control of plant- and animal-parasitic nematodes. A. oligospora is also the first recognized and intensively studied NTF species. This review highlights the recent research advances of A. oligospora as a model to study the biological signals of the switch from saprophytism to predation and their sophisticated mechanisms for interacting with their invertebrate hosts, which is of vital importance for improving the engineering of this species as an effective biocontrol fungus. The application of A. oligospora in industry and agriculture, especially as biological control agents for sustainable purposes, was summarized, and we discussed the increasing role of A. oligospora in studying its sexual morph and genetic transformation in complementing biological control research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming 650032, China
- School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650032, China
| | - Nan Ma
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming 650032, China
- School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650032, China
| | - Wanqin Rao
- School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650032, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming 650032, China
- Correspondence:
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8
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A new detection method for canine and feline cancer using the olfactory system of nematodes. Biochem Biophys Rep 2022; 32:101332. [PMID: 36111250 PMCID: PMC9469661 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2022.101332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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9
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Yoon KH, Indong RA, Lee JI. Making "Sense" of Ecology from a Genetic Perspective: Caenorhabditis elegans, Microbes and Behavior. Metabolites 2022; 12:1084. [PMID: 36355167 PMCID: PMC9697003 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12111084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Our knowledge of animal and behavior in the natural ecology is based on over a century's worth of valuable field studies. In this post-genome era, however, we recognize that genes are the underpinning of ecological interactions between two organisms. Understanding how genes contribute to animal ecology, which is essentially the intersection of two genomes, is a tremendous challenge. The bacterivorous nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, one of the most well-known genetic animal model experimental systems, experiences a complex microbial world in its natural habitat, providing us with a window into the interplay of genes and molecules that result in an animal-microbial ecology. In this review, we will discuss C. elegans natural ecology, how the worm uses its sensory system to detect the microbes and metabolites that it encounters, and then discuss some of the fascinating ecological dances, including behaviors, that have evolved between the nematode and the microbes in its environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoung-hye Yoon
- Department of Physiology, Mitohormesis Research Center, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju 26426, Korea
| | - Rocel Amor Indong
- Division of Biological Science and Technology, College of Science and Technology, Yonsei University, Wonju 26493, Korea
| | - Jin I. Lee
- Division of Biological Science and Technology, College of Science and Technology, Yonsei University, Wonju 26493, Korea
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10
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Arrestin-mediated desensitization enables intraneuronal olfactory discrimination in Caenorhabditis elegans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2116957119. [PMID: 35878038 PMCID: PMC9351366 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2116957119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
In the mammalian olfactory system, cross-talk between olfactory signals is minimized through physical isolation: individual neurons express one or few olfactory receptors among those encoded in the genome. Physical isolation allows for segregation of stimuli during signal transduction; however, in the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans, ∼1,300 olfactory receptors are primarily expressed in only 32 neurons, precluding this strategy. Here, we report genetic and behavioral evidence that β-arrestin-mediated desensitization of olfactory receptors, working downstream of the kinase GRK-1, enables discrimination between intraneuronal olfactory stimuli. Our findings suggest that C. elegans exploits β-arrestin desensitization to maximize responsiveness to novel odors, allowing for behaviorally appropriate responses to olfactory stimuli despite the large number of olfactory receptors signaling in single cells. This represents a fundamentally different solution to the problem of olfactory discrimination than that which evolved in mammals, allowing for economical use of a limited number of sensory neurons.
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11
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Suzuki M, Hattori Y, Saito T, Harada Y. Pond Assay for the Sensory Systems of Caenorhabditis elegans: A Novel Anesthesia-Free Method Enabling Detection of Responses to Extremely Low Chemical Concentrations. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11020335. [PMID: 35205201 PMCID: PMC8868598 DOI: 10.3390/biology11020335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary We propose a pond assay for the sensory systems (PASS) of Caenorhabditis elegans as a novel method of behavioral analysis. In PASS, the test solution is injected into a recess(es) formed on agar and the response of C. elegans to its odor and/or taste is examined. Once C. elegans individuals fall into recesses (ponds) filled with liquid, they cannot return to the solid medium. In this way, the animals are trapped with certainty without the use of anesthesia. The anesthesia used to keep animals in the attractant area in conventional chemotaxis assays is no longer required, allowing pure evaluation of the response to specific substances. Furthermore, the test itself can be greatly streamlined because the preparation can be completed simply by providing a recess(es) and filling the liquid. The present paper reports the detailed method and effectiveness of the novel PASS through a series of chemotaxis assays. By using the PASS method, we found that the olfactory system of C. elegans accurately senses odors even at extremely low concentrations lower than the previously known detection threshold. This method can be applied to biosensor technology that uses C. elegans to detect chemical substances present at extremely low concentrations in environmental samples and biological samples with high sensitivity. Abstract Chemotaxis in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has basically been examined using conventional assay methods. Although these can be problematic, for example, in their use of anesthesia, the method has never been improved. We propose a pond assay for the sensory systems (PASS) of C. elegans as a novel population-based method of behavioral analysis. The test solution is injected into a recess(es) formed on agar and the response of C. elegans to its odor and/or taste is examined. Once C. elegans individuals fall into recesses (ponds) filled with liquid, they cannot return to a solid medium. In this way, the animals are trapped with certainty without the use of anesthesia. The anesthesia used to keep animals in the attractant area in conventional chemotaxis assays is no longer required, allowing pure evaluation of the attractant or repellent response to specific substances. Furthermore, the assay itself can be greatly streamlined because the preparation can be completed simply by providing a recess(es) and filling the liquid. The present paper reports the detailed method and effectiveness of the novel PASS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiyo Suzuki
- Takasaki Advanced Radiation Research Institute, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST-Takasaki), 1233 Watanuki, Takasaki 370-1292, Gunma, Japan;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-(0)27-346-9542; Fax: +81-(0)27-346-9353
| | - Yuya Hattori
- Takasaki Advanced Radiation Research Institute, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST-Takasaki), 1233 Watanuki, Takasaki 370-1292, Gunma, Japan;
| | - Toshiyuki Saito
- National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST-NIRS), 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555, Chiba, Japan;
| | - Yoshinobu Harada
- Human Resources Development Center, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST-CHRD), 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555, Chiba, Japan;
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12
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Yang W, Wu T, Tu S, Qin Y, Shen C, Li J, Choi MK, Duan F, Zhang Y. Redundant neural circuits regulate olfactory integration. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010029. [PMID: 35100258 PMCID: PMC8830790 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Olfactory integration is important for survival in a natural habitat. However, how the nervous system processes signals of two odorants present simultaneously to generate a coherent behavioral response is poorly understood. Here, we characterize circuit basis for a form of olfactory integration in Caenorhabditis elegans. We find that the presence of a repulsive odorant, 2-nonanone, that signals threat strongly blocks the attraction of other odorants, such as isoamyl alcohol (IAA) or benzaldehyde, that signal food. Using a forward genetic screen, we found that genes known to regulate the structure and function of sensory neurons, osm-5 and osm-1, played a critical role in the integration process. Loss of these genes mildly reduces the response to the repellent 2-nonanone and disrupts the integration effect. Restoring the function of OSM-5 in either AWB or ASH, two sensory neurons known to mediate 2-nonanone-evoked avoidance, is sufficient to rescue. Sensory neurons AWB and downstream interneurons AVA, AIB, RIM that play critical roles in olfactory sensorimotor response are able to process signals generated by 2-nonanone or IAA or the mixture of the two odorants and contribute to the integration. Thus, our results identify redundant neural circuits that regulate the robust effect of a repulsive odorant to block responses to attractive odorants and uncover the neuronal and cellular basis for this complex olfactory task. In their natural environment, animals, including humans, encounter complex olfactory stimuli. Thus, how the brain processes multiple sensory cues to generate a coherent behavioral output is critical for the survival of the animal. In the present study, we combined molecular cellular genetics, optical physiology and behavioral analysis to study a common olfactory phenomenon in which the presence of one odorant blocks the response to another. Our results show that the integrated response is regulated by redundant neuronal circuits that engage several interneurons essential for olfactory sensorimotor responses, a mechanism that likely ensures a robust behavioral response to sensory cues representing information critical for survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxing Yang
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Physiology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- * E-mail: (WY); (YZ)
| | - Taihong Wu
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Shasha Tu
- Department of Physiology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yuang Qin
- Department of Physiology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Chengchen Shen
- Department of Physiology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jiangyun Li
- Department of Physiology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Myung-Kyu Choi
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Fengyun Duan
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Yun Zhang
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail: (WY); (YZ)
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13
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Patel R, Hallem EA. Olfaction: One receptor drives opposite behaviors. Curr Biol 2022; 32:R93-R96. [PMID: 35077699 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.12.008] [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] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Many odorants are attractive at low concentrations but repulsive at higher concentrations. A new study demonstrates that, in Caenorhabditis elegans, a single odorant receptor acts in two different neuron pairs to mediate both attractive and repulsive responses to an odorant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruhi Patel
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Elissa A Hallem
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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14
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Binding site identification of G protein-coupled receptors through a 3D Zernike polynomials-based method: application to C. elegans olfactory receptors. J Comput Aided Mol Des 2022; 36:11-24. [PMID: 34977999 PMCID: PMC8831295 DOI: 10.1007/s10822-021-00434-1] [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: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Studying the binding processes of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) proteins is of particular interest both to better understand the molecular mechanisms that regulate the signaling between the extracellular and intracellular environment and for drug design purposes. In this study, we propose a new computational approach for the identification of the binding site for a specific ligand on a GPCR. The method is based on the Zernike polynomials and performs the ligand-GPCR association through a shape complementarity analysis of the local molecular surfaces. The method is parameter-free and it can distinguish, working on hundreds of experimentally GPCR-ligand complexes, binding pockets from randomly sampled regions on the receptor surface, obtaining an Area Under ROC curve of 0.77. Given its importance both as a model organism and in terms of applications, we thus investigated the olfactory receptors of the C. elegans, building a list of associations between 21 GPCRs belonging to its olfactory neurons and a set of possible ligands. Thus, we can not only carry out rapid and efficient screenings of drugs proposed for GPCRs, key targets in many pathologies, but also we laid the groundwork for computational mutagenesis processes, aimed at increasing or decreasing the binding affinity between ligands and receptors.
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15
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A single chemosensory GPCR is required for a concentration-dependent behavioral switching in C. elegans. Curr Biol 2021; 32:398-411.e4. [PMID: 34906353 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.11.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Animals detect and discriminate countless environmental chemicals for their well-being and survival. Although a single chemical can trigger opposing behavioral responses depending on its concentration, the mechanisms underlying such a concentration-dependent switching remain poorly understood. Here, we show that C. elegans exhibits either attraction or avoidance of the bacteria-derived volatile chemical dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS) depending on its concentration. This behavioral switching is mediated by two different types of chemosensory neurons, both of which express the DMTS-sensitive seven-transmembrane G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) SRI-14. These two sensory neurons share downstream interneurons that process and translate DMTS signals via distinct glutamate receptors to generate the appropriate behavioral outcome. Thus, our results present one mechanism by which an animal connects two distinct types of chemosensory neurons detecting a common ligand to alternate downstream circuitry, thus efficiently switching between specific behavioral programs based on ligand concentration.
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16
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Cheng H, Liu Y, Xue Y, Shao J, Tan Z, Liu S, Duan S, Kang L. Molecular Strategies for Intensity-Dependent Olfactory Processing in Caenorhabditis elegans. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:748214. [PMID: 34803606 PMCID: PMC8600271 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.748214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Various odorants trigger complex animal behaviors across species in both quality- and quantity-dependent manners. However, how the intensity of olfactory input is encoded remains largely unknown. Here we report that isoamyl alcohol (IAA) induces bi-directional currents through a Gα- guanylate cyclase (GC)- cGMP signaling pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans olfactory neuron amphid wing “C” cell (AWC), while two opposite cGMP signaling pathways are responsible for odor-sensing in olfactory neuron amphid wing “B” cell (AWB): (1) a depolarizing Gα (GPA-3)- phosphodiesterase (PDE) – cGMP pathway which can be activated by low concentrations of isoamyl alcohol (IAA), and (2) a hyperpolarizing Gα (ODR-3)- GC- cGMP pathway sensing high concentrations of IAA. Besides, IAA induces Gα (ODR-3)-TRPV(OSM-9)-dependent currents in amphid wing “A” cell (AWA) and amphid neuron “H” cell with single ciliated sensory ending (ASH) neurons with different thresholds. Our results demonstrate that an elaborate combination of multiple signaling machineries encode the intensity of olfactory input, shedding light on understanding the molecular strategies on sensory transduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hankui Cheng
- Department of Neurobiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yadan Xue
- Department of Neurobiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiajie Shao
- Department of Neurobiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhibing Tan
- Department of Neurobiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Siyan Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shumin Duan
- Department of Neurobiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lijun Kang
- Department of Neurobiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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17
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Lanza E, Di Rocco M, Schwartz S, Caprini D, Milanetti E, Ferrarese G, Lonardo MT, Pannone L, Ruocco G, Martinelli S, Folli V. C. elegans-based chemosensation strategy for the early detection of cancer metabolites in urine samples. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17133. [PMID: 34429473 PMCID: PMC8385061 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96613-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemosensory receptors play a crucial role in distinguishing the wide range of volatile/soluble molecules by binding them with high accuracy. Chemosensation is the main sensory modality in organisms lacking long-range sensory mechanisms like vision/hearing. Despite its low number of sensory neurons, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans possesses several chemosensory receptors, allowing it to detect about as many odorants as mammals. Here, we show that C. elegans displays attraction towards urine samples of women with breast cancer, avoiding control ones. Behavioral assays on animals lacking AWC sensory neurons demonstrate the relevance of these neurons in sensing cancer odorants: calcium imaging on AWC increases the accuracy of the discrimination (97.22%). Also, chemotaxis assays on animals lacking GPCRs expressed in AWC allow to identify receptors involved in binding cancer metabolites, suggesting that an alteration of a few metabolites is sufficient for the cancer discriminating behavior of C. elegans, which may help identify a fundamental fingerprint of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Lanza
- grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Life Nano Science, Rome, 00161 Italy
| | - Martina Di Rocco
- grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Life Nano Science, Rome, 00161 Italy ,grid.416651.10000 0000 9120 6856Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, 00161 Italy ,grid.7841.aDepartment of Biochemical Science “A. Rossi Fanelli”, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Schwartz
- grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Life Nano Science, Rome, 00161 Italy
| | - Davide Caprini
- grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Life Nano Science, Rome, 00161 Italy
| | - Edoardo Milanetti
- grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Life Nano Science, Rome, 00161 Italy ,grid.7841.aDepartment of Physics, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, 00185 Italy
| | - Giuseppe Ferrarese
- grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Life Nano Science, Rome, 00161 Italy
| | | | - Luca Pannone
- grid.414125.70000 0001 0727 6809Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, Rome, RM 00165 Italy
| | - Giancarlo Ruocco
- grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Life Nano Science, Rome, 00161 Italy
| | - Simone Martinelli
- grid.416651.10000 0000 9120 6856Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, 00161 Italy
| | - Viola Folli
- grid.25786.3e0000 0004 1764 2907Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Life Nano Science, Rome, 00161 Italy
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18
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Asai A, Konno M, Ozaki M, Kawamoto K, Chijimatsu R, Kondo N, Hirotsu T, Ishii H. Scent test using Caenorhabditis elegans to screen for early-stage pancreatic cancer. Oncotarget 2021; 12:1687-1696. [PMID: 34434497 PMCID: PMC8378769 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.28035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Although early detection and diagnosis are indispensable for improving the prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer, both have yet to be achieved. Except for pancreatic cancer, other cancers have already been screened through scent tests using animals or microorganisms, including Caenorhabditis elegans. While such a method may greatly improve the prognosis of pancreatic cancer, no studies have investigated the same, mainly given the difficulty of collecting suitable samples from patients with early-stage pancreatic cancer. In this study, we organized a nationwide study group comprising high-volume centers throughout Japan to collect patients with very-early-stage pancreatic cancer (stage 0 or IA). We initially performed an open-label study involving 83 cases (stage 0–IV), with subsequent results showing significant differences after surgical removal in stage 0–IA (×10 dilution: p < 0.001; ×100 dilution: p < 0.001). Thereafter, a blinded study on 28 cases (11 patients with stage 0 or IA disease and 17 healthy volunteers) was conducted by comparing very-early-stage pancreatic cancer patients with healthy volunteers to determine whether C. elegans could detect the scent of cancer for the diagnosis of early-stage pancreatic cancer. Preoperative urine samples had a significantly higher chemotaxis index compared to postoperative samples in patients with pancreatic cancer [×10 dilution: p < 0.001, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) = 0.845; ×100 dilution: p < 0.001, AUC = 0.820] and healthy volunteers (×10 dilution: p = 0.034; ×100 dilution: p = 0.088). Moreover, using the changes in preoperative and postoperative chemotaxis index, this method had a higher sensitivity for detecting early pancreatic cancer compared to existing diagnostic markers. The clinical application C. elegans for the early diagnosis of cancer can certainly be expected in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayumu Asai
- Center of Medical Innovation and Translational Research (CoMIT), Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.,Artificial Intelligence Research Center, Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University, Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masamitsu Konno
- Center of Medical Innovation and Translational Research (CoMIT), Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.,Present address: Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba, Japan
| | - Miyuki Ozaki
- Center of Medical Innovation and Translational Research (CoMIT), Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Koichi Kawamoto
- Center of Medical Innovation and Translational Research (CoMIT), Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.,Present address: Kinnki Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare, Osaka, Japan
| | - Ryota Chijimatsu
- Center of Medical Innovation and Translational Research (CoMIT), Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Nobuaki Kondo
- Center of Medical Innovation and Translational Research (CoMIT), Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.,Hirotsu Bio Science Inc., Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo 102-0094, Japan
| | - Takaaki Hirotsu
- Center of Medical Innovation and Translational Research (CoMIT), Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.,Hirotsu Bio Science Inc., Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo 102-0094, Japan
| | - Hideshi Ishii
- Center of Medical Innovation and Translational Research (CoMIT), Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
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19
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES Early detection of pancreatic cancer is notoriously difficult. A novel cancer diagnostic method using the ability of nematodes to detect odor of urine samples has been developed (N-NOSE). This method has a high sensitivity and specificity for various cancers; however, it has not yet been verified in pancreatic cancer. We examined the usefulness of this method to aid early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in a cancer center. METHODS We collected urine samples and clinical data from patients hospitalized in our division, between July 2017 and February 2019. We excluded patients with a known current or past history of other cancers. We investigated the relationship between the results of N-NOSE and the presence of pancreatic cancer. RESULTS There were 95 noncancer cases and 104 pancreatic cancer cases. The sensitivity and specificity of N-NOSE for pancreatic cancer were 84.6% (88/104) and 60% (57/95), respectively. N-NOSE was able to detect stages 0 to I pancreatic cancer and had a higher correlation with early-stage pancreatic cancer than advanced stage. CONCLUSIONS N-NOSE has sufficient sensitivity and specificity for use in clinical practice, and it holds great potential as a diagnostic aid for pancreatic cancer, especially for early-stage pancreatic cancer.
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20
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Ferkey DM, Sengupta P, L’Etoile ND. Chemosensory signal transduction in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2021; 217:iyab004. [PMID: 33693646 PMCID: PMC8045692 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemosensory neurons translate perception of external chemical cues, including odorants, tastants, and pheromones, into information that drives attraction or avoidance motor programs. In the laboratory, robust behavioral assays, coupled with powerful genetic, molecular and optical tools, have made Caenorhabditis elegans an ideal experimental system in which to dissect the contributions of individual genes and neurons to ethologically relevant chemosensory behaviors. Here, we review current knowledge of the neurons, signal transduction molecules and regulatory mechanisms that underlie the response of C. elegans to chemicals, including pheromones. The majority of identified molecules and pathways share remarkable homology with sensory mechanisms in other organisms. With the development of new tools and technologies, we anticipate that continued study of chemosensory signal transduction and processing in C. elegans will yield additional new insights into the mechanisms by which this animal is able to detect and discriminate among thousands of chemical cues with a limited sensory neuron repertoire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise M Ferkey
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Piali Sengupta
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
| | - Noelle D L’Etoile
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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21
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The G-Protein-Coupled Receptor SRX-97 Is Required for Concentration-Dependent Sensing of Benzaldehyde in Caenorhabditis elegans. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0011-20.2020. [PMID: 33397797 PMCID: PMC7877458 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0011-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The G-protein (heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding protein)-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in the olfactory system function to sense the surrounding environment and respond to various odorants. The genes coding for olfactory receptors in Caenorhabditis elegans are larger in number in comparison to those in mammals, suggesting complexity in the receptor-odorant relationships. Recent studies have shown that the same odorant in different concentrations could act on multiple receptors in different neurons to induce attractive or repulsive responses. The ASH neurons are known to be responsible for responding to high concentrations of volatile odorants. Here, we characterize a new GPCR, SRX-97. We found that the srx-97 promoter drives expression specifically in the head ASH and tail PHB chemosensory neurons of C. elegans. Moreover, the SRX-97 protein localizes to the ciliary ends of the ASH neurons. Analysis of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based deletion mutants of the srx-97 locus suggests that this gene is involved in recognition of high concentrations of benzaldehyde. This was further confirmed through rescue and neuronal ablation experiments. Our work brings novel insights into concentration-dependent receptor function in the olfactory system, and provides details of an additional molecule that helps the animal navigate its surroundings.
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22
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Park S, Artan M, Jeong D, Park HH, Son HG, Kim SS, Jung Y, Choi Y, Lee JI, Kim K, Lee SV. Diacetyl odor shortens longevity conferred by food deprivation in C. elegans via downregulation of DAF-16/FOXO. Aging Cell 2021; 20:e13300. [PMID: 33382195 PMCID: PMC7811839 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Dietary restriction extends lifespan in various organisms by reducing the levels of both nutrients and non‐nutritional food‐derived cues. However, the identity of specific food‐derived chemical cues that alter lifespan remains unclear. Here, we identified several volatile attractants that decreased the longevity on food deprivation, a dietary restriction regimen in Caenorhabditis elegans. In particular, we found that the odor of diacetyl decreased the activity of DAF‐16/FOXO, a life‐extending transcription factor acting downstream of insulin/IGF‐1 signaling. We then demonstrated that the odor of lactic acid bacteria, which produce diacetyl, reduced the nuclear accumulation of DAF‐16/FOXO. Unexpectedly, we showed that the odor of diacetyl decreased longevity independently of two established diacetyl receptors, ODR‐10 and SRI‐14, in sensory neurons. Thus, diacetyl, a food‐derived odorant, may shorten food deprivation‐induced longevity via decreasing the activity of DAF‐16/FOXO through binding to unidentified receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangsoon Park
- Department of Life Sciences Pohang University of Science and Technology Pohang South Korea
| | - Murat Artan
- Department of Life Sciences Pohang University of Science and Technology Pohang South Korea
| | - Dae‐Eun Jeong
- Department of Life Sciences Pohang University of Science and Technology Pohang South Korea
| | - Hae‐Eun H. Park
- Department of Biological Sciences Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Daejeon South Korea
| | - Heehwa G. Son
- Department of Biological Sciences Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Daejeon South Korea
| | - Sieun S. Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Daejeon South Korea
| | - Yoonji Jung
- Department of Biological Sciences Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Daejeon South Korea
| | - Yunji Choi
- Division of Biological Science and Technology College of Science and Technology Yonsei University Wonju South Korea
| | - Jin I. Lee
- Division of Biological Science and Technology College of Science and Technology Yonsei University Wonju South Korea
| | - Kyuhyung Kim
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology Daegu South Korea
| | - Seung‐Jae V. Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Daejeon South Korea
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23
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Duan D, Zhang H, Yue X, Fan Y, Xue Y, Shao J, Ding G, Chen D, Li S, Cheng H, Zhang X, Zou W, Liu J, Zhao J, Wang L, Zhao B, Wang Z, Xu S, Wen Q, Liu J, Duan S, Kang L. Sensory Glia Detect Repulsive Odorants and Drive Olfactory Adaptation. Neuron 2020; 108:707-721.e8. [PMID: 32970991 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.08.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Glia are typically considered as supporting cells for neural development and synaptic transmission. Here, we report an active role of a glia in olfactory transduction. As a polymodal sensory neuron in C. elegans, the ASH neuron is previously known to detect multiple aversive odorants. We reveal that the AMsh glia, a sheath for multiple sensory neurons including ASH, cell-autonomously respond to aversive odorants via G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) distinct from those in ASH. Upon activation, the AMsh glia suppress aversive odorant-triggered avoidance and promote olfactory adaptation by inhibiting the ASH neuron via GABA signaling. Thus, we propose a novel two-receptor model where the glia and sensory neuron jointly mediate adaptive olfaction. Our study reveals a non-canonical function of glial cells in olfactory transduction, which may provide new insights into the glia-like supporting cells in mammalian sensory procession.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duo Duan
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang 310053, China; NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, China; Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang 310053, China
| | - Hu Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang 310053, China; NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, China
| | - Xiaomin Yue
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang 310053, China; NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, China
| | - Yuedan Fan
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang 310053, China; NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, China
| | - Yadan Xue
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang 310053, China
| | - Jiajie Shao
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang 310053, China
| | - Gang Ding
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang 310053, China
| | - Du Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang 310053, China
| | - Shitian Li
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang 310053, China
| | - Hankui Cheng
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang 310053, China
| | - Xiaoyan Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang 310053, China
| | - Wenjuan Zou
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang 310053, China
| | - Jia Liu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang 310053, China
| | - Jian Zhao
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang 310053, China
| | - Linmei Wang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang 310053, China
| | - Bingzhen Zhao
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Zhiping Wang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang 310053, China
| | - Suhong Xu
- Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Quan Wen
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Jie Liu
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Shumin Duan
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, China; Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang 310053, China.
| | - Lijun Kang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang 310053, China; NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, China.
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Tsai AYL, Oota M, Sawa S. Chemotactic Host-Finding Strategies of Plant Endoparasites and Endophytes. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:1167. [PMID: 32849722 PMCID: PMC7411241 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.01167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Plants interact with microorganisms in the environment during all stages of their development and in most of their organs. These interactions can be either beneficial or detrimental for the plant and may be transient or long-term. In extreme cases, microorganisms become endoparastic or endophytic and permanently reside within a plant, while the host plant undergoes developmental reprogramming and produces new tissues or organs as a response to the invasion. Events at the cellular and molecular level following infection have been extensively described, however the mechanisms of how these microorganisms locate their plant hosts via chemotaxis remain largely unknown. In this review, we summarize recent findings concerning the signalling molecules that regulate chemotaxis of endoparasitic/endophytic bacteria, fungi, and nematodes. In particular, we will focus on the molecules secreted by plants that are most likely to act as guidance cues for microorganisms. These compounds are found in a wide range of plant species and show a variety of secondary effects. Interestingly, these compounds show different attraction potencies depending on the species of the invading organism, suggesting that cues perceived in the soil may be more complex than anticipated. However, what the cognate receptors are for these attractants, as well as the mechanism of how these attractants influence these organisms, remain important outstanding questions. Host-targeting marks the first step of plant-microorganism interactions, therefore understanding the signalling molecules involved in this step plays a key role in understanding these interactions as a whole.
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25
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Kusumoto H, Tashiro K, Shimaoka S, Tsukasa K, Baba Y, Furukawa S, Furukawa J, Niihara T, Hirotsu T, Uozumi T. Efficiency of Gastrointestinal Cancer Detection by Nematode-NOSE (N-NOSE). In Vivo 2020; 34:73-80. [PMID: 31882465 DOI: 10.21873/invivo.11747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM Early detection of gastrointestinal cancer may reduce mortality. Recently, Caenorhabditis elegans has been reported to be capable of differentiating patients with cancers from healthy persons by the smell of urine. This novel technique using C. elegans olfaction has been named as Nematode-NOSE (N-NOSE). MATERIALS AND METHODS We collected 180 urine samples from patients with gastrointestinal cancer and 76 samples from healthy subjects. N-NOSE test was performed using these samples and N-NOSE index was obtained. Quantification of the olfactory behavior of C. elegans was performed as established in past studies. By receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, we examined the diagnostic capability of N-NOSE. RESULTS ROC analysis revealed that N-NOSE showed an area under the curve value of more than 0.80, even in early-stage cancers. CONCLUSION C. elegans olfaction enabled the detection of gastrointestinal cancers from urine with high sensitivity, which can provide the basis for the development of N-NOSE as a gastrointestinal cancer screening test.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kotaro Tashiro
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanpuh Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Syunji Shimaoka
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanpuh Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Koichiro Tsukasa
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanpuh Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Yukiko Baba
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanpuh Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Saori Furukawa
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanpuh Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan
| | | | - Toru Niihara
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanpuh Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Takaaki Hirotsu
- Hirotsu Bio Science Inc., Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Biology, Graduate School of Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.,School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
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26
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Wheeler NJ, Heimark ZW, Airs PM, Mann A, Bartholomay LC, Zamanian M. Genetic and functional diversification of chemosensory pathway receptors in mosquito-borne filarial nematodes. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000723. [PMID: 32511224 PMCID: PMC7302863 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Lymphatic filariasis (LF) afflicts over 60 million people worldwide and leads to severe pathological outcomes in chronic cases. The nematode parasites (Nematoda: Filarioidea) that cause LF require both arthropod (mosquito) intermediate hosts and mammalian definitive hosts for their propagation. The invasion and migration of filarial worms through host tissues are complex and critical to survival, yet little is known about the receptors and signaling pathways that mediate directed migration in these medically important species. In order to better understand the role of chemosensory signaling in filarial worm taxis, we employ comparative genomics, transcriptomics, reverse genetics, and chemical approaches to identify putative chemosensory receptor proteins and perturb chemotaxis phenotypes in filarial worms. We find that chemoreceptor family size is correlated with the presence of environmental (extrahost) stages in nematode life cycles, and that filarial worms contain compact and highly diverged chemoreceptor complements and lineage-specific ion channels that are predicted to operate downstream of chemoreceptor activation. In Brugia malayi, an etiological agent of LF, chemoreceptor expression patterns correspond to distinct parasite migration events across the life cycle. To interrogate the role of chemosensation in the migration of larval worms, arthropod and mammalian infectious stage Brugia parasites were incubated in nicotinamide, an agonist of the nematode transient receptor potential (TRP) channel OSM-9. Exposure of microfilariae to nicotinamide alters intramosquito migration, and exposure of L3s reduces chemotaxis toward host-associated cues in vitro. Nicotinamide also potently modulates thermosensory responses in L3s, suggesting a polymodal sensory role for Brugia osm-9. Reverse genetic studies implicate both Brugia osm-9 and the cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channel subunit tax-4 in larval chemotaxis toward host serum, and these ion channel subunits partially rescue sensory defects in Caenorhabditis elegans osm-9 and tax-4 knock-out strains. Together, these data reveal genetic and functional diversification of chemosensory signaling proteins in filarial worms and encourage a more thorough investigation of clade- and parasite-specific facets of nematode sensory receptor biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas J. Wheeler
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Zachary W. Heimark
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Paul M. Airs
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Alexis Mann
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Lyric C. Bartholomay
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Mostafa Zamanian
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
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27
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Kusumoto H, Tashiro K, Shimaoka S, Tsukasa K, Baba Y, Furukawa S, Furukawa J, Suenaga T, Kitazono M, Tanaka S, Niihara T, Hirotsu T, Uozumi T. Behavioural Response Alteration in Caenorhabditis elegans to Urine After Surgical Removal of Cancer: Nematode-NOSE (N-NOSE) for Postoperative Evaluation. BIOMARKERS IN CANCER 2019; 11:1179299X19896551. [PMID: 31903024 PMCID: PMC6931140 DOI: 10.1177/1179299x19896551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The technique used for cancer monitoring is essential for effective cancer
therapy. Currently, several methods such as diagnostic imaging and biochemical
markers have been used for cancer monitoring, but these are invasive and show
low sensitivity. A previous study reported that Caenorhabditis
elegans sensitively discriminated patients with cancer from healthy
subjects, based on the smell of a urine sample. However, whether C.
elegans olfaction can detect the removal of cancerous tumours
remains unknown. This study was conducted to examine C. elegans
olfactory behaviour to urine samples collected from 78 patients before and after
surgery. The diagnostic ability of the technique termed Nematode-NOSE (N-NOSE)
was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The ROC curve
of N-NOSE was higher than those of classic tumour markers. Furthermore, we
examined the change in C. elegans olfactory behaviour following
exposure to preoperative and postoperative samples. The results suggest that a
reduction in attraction indicates the removal of the cancerous tumour. This
study may lead to the development of a noninvasive and highly sensitive tool for
evaluating postoperative cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kotaro Tashiro
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanpuh Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Syunji Shimaoka
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanpuh Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Koichiro Tsukasa
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanpuh Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Yukiko Baba
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanpuh Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Saori Furukawa
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanpuh Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan
| | | | - Toyokuni Suenaga
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Nanpuh Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Masaki Kitazono
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Nanpuh Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Sadao Tanaka
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Nanpuh Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Toru Niihara
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanpuh Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Takaaki Hirotsu
- R&D Center, Hirotsu Bio Science Inc., Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Biology, Graduate School of Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.,School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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28
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Milanetti E, Gosti G, De Flaviis L, Olimpieri PP, Schwartz S, Caprini D, Ruocco G, Folli V. Investigation of the binding between olfactory receptors and odorant molecules in C. elegans organism. Biophys Chem 2019; 255:106264. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2019.106264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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29
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Chute CD, DiLoreto EM, Zhang YK, Reilly DK, Rayes D, Coyle VL, Choi HJ, Alkema MJ, Schroeder FC, Srinivasan J. Co-option of neurotransmitter signaling for inter-organismal communication in C. elegans. Nat Commun 2019; 10:3186. [PMID: 31320626 PMCID: PMC6639374 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11240-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Chute
- Biology and Biotechnology Department, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- BioHelix Corporation, Beverly, MA, 01915, USA
| | - Elizabeth M DiLoreto
- Biology and Biotechnology Department, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Ying K Zhang
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Douglas K Reilly
- Biology and Biotechnology Department, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Diego Rayes
- Neurobiology Department, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca (CONICET), Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahía Blanca, B8000, Argentina
| | - Veronica L Coyle
- Biology and Biotechnology Department, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- AbbVie, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Hee June Choi
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Mark J Alkema
- Neurobiology Department, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Frank C Schroeder
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Jagan Srinivasan
- Biology and Biotechnology Department, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA.
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30
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Uozumi T, Hirotsu T. [Development of an Early Cancer Detection Method Using the Olfaction of the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans]. YAKUGAKU ZASSHI 2019; 139:759-765. [PMID: 31061346 DOI: 10.1248/yakushi.18-00185-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Early detection and treatment are important for the successful eradication of various cancers; therefore, the development of economical, noninvasive novel cancer screening systems is critical. Previous reports using canine scent detection have demonstrated the existence of cancer-specific odors. However, it is difficult to introduce canine scent recognition into clinical practice because of the need to maintain accuracy. In this study, we developed a Nematode-Nose (N-NOSE) test using Caenorhabditis elegans to provide a novel, highly accurate cancer detection system that is economical, painless, rapid, and convenient. We demonstrated that wild-type C. elegans displayed attractive chemotaxis toward human cancer cell secretions, cancer tissues, and urine from cancer patients but avoided control urine. In parallel, C. elegans olfactory neurons showed a significantly stronger response to urine from cancer patients than to control urine. In contrast, G protein α mutants and animals with ablated olfactory neurons were not attracted to urine from cancer patients, suggesting that they sense odors in urine. We tested 242 samples to measure the performance of the N-NOSE test and found that the sensitivity was 95.8%, which is markedly higher than that of other existing tumor markers. Furthermore, the specificity was 95.0%. Importantly, this test could detect various cancer types tested at the early stage (stage 0 or 1). C. elegans scent-based analyses therefore might provide a new strategy for the detection and study of disease-associated scents.
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31
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Hamakawa M, Okamoto T. The effect of different emotional states on olfactory perception: A preliminary study. FLAVOUR FRAG J 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ffj.3469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Masayuki Hamakawa
- Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences; Kyushu University; Fukuoka Japan
- Research Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science; Tokyo Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Okamoto
- Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences; Kyushu University; Fukuoka Japan
- Faculty of Arts and Science; Kyushu University; Fukuoka Japan
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32
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Xiao G, Chen H, Krasteva N, Liu Q, Wang D. Identification of interneurons required for the aversive response of Caenorhabditis elegans to graphene oxide. J Nanobiotechnology 2018; 16:45. [PMID: 29703212 PMCID: PMC5921546 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-018-0373-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND So far, how the animals evade the environmental nanomaterials is still largely unclear. In this study, we employed in vivo assay system of Caenorhabditis elegans to investigate the aversive behavior of nematodes to graphene oxide (GO) and the underlying neuronal basis. RESULTS In this assay model, we detected the significant aversive behavior of nematodes to GO at concentrations more than 50 mg/L. Loss-of-function mutation of nlg-1 encoding a neuroligin with the function in connecting pre- and post-synaptic neurons suppressed the aversive behavior of nematodes to GO. Moreover, based on the neuron-specific activity assay, we found that the NLG-1 activity in AIY or AIB interneurons was required for the regulation of aversive behavior to GO. The neuron-specific activities of NLG-1 in AIY or AIB interneurons were also required for the regulation of GO toxicity. CONCLUSIONS Using nlg-1 mutant as a genetic tool, we identified the AIY and AIB interneurons required for the regulation of aversive behavior to GO. Our results provide an important neuronal basis for the aversive response of animals to environmental nanomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guosheng Xiao
- College of Biology and Food Engineering, Chongqing Three Gorges University, Wanzhou, 404100, China
| | - He Chen
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering in Ministry of Education, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Natalia Krasteva
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Science, Sofia, 1113, Bulgaria
| | - Qizhan Liu
- School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Dayong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering in Ministry of Education, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
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33
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Automated fluid delivery from multiwell plates to microfluidic devices for high-throughput experiments and microscopy. Sci Rep 2018; 8:6217. [PMID: 29670202 PMCID: PMC5906459 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-24504-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
High-throughput biological and chemical experiments typically use either multiwell plates or microfluidic devices to analyze numerous independent samples in a compact format. Multiwell plates are convenient for screening chemical libraries in static fluid environments, whereas microfluidic devices offer immense flexibility in flow control and dynamics. Interfacing these platforms in a simple and automated way would introduce new high-throughput experimental capabilities, such as compound screens with precise exposure timing. Whereas current approaches to integrate microfluidic devices with multiwell plates remain expensive or technically complicated, we present here a simple open-source robotic system that delivers liquids sequentially through a single connected inlet. We first characterized reliability and performance by automatically delivering 96 dye solutions to a microfluidic device. Next, we measured odor dose-response curves of in vivo neural activity from two sensory neuron types in dozens of living C. elegans in a single experiment. We then identified chemicals that suppressed optogenetically-evoked neural activity, demonstrating a functional screening platform for neural modulation in whole organisms. Lastly, we automated an 85-minute, ten-step cell staining protocol. Together, these examples show that our system can automate various protocols and accelerate experiments by economically bridging two common elements of high-throughput systems: multiwell plates and microfluidics.
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34
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Vidal B, Aghayeva U, Sun H, Wang C, Glenwinkel L, Bayer EA, Hobert O. An atlas of Caenorhabditis elegans chemoreceptor expression. PLoS Biol 2018; 16:e2004218. [PMID: 29293491 PMCID: PMC5749674 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2004218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
One goal of modern day neuroscience is the establishment of molecular maps that assign unique features to individual neuron types. Such maps provide important starting points for neuron classification, for functional analysis, and for developmental studies aimed at defining the molecular mechanisms of neuron identity acquisition and neuron identity diversification. In this resource paper, we describe a nervous system-wide map of the potential expression sites of 244 members of the largest gene family in the C. elegans genome, rhodopsin-like (class A) G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) chemoreceptors, using classic gfp reporter gene technology. We cover representatives of all sequence families of chemoreceptor GPCRs, some of which were previously entirely uncharacterized. Most reporters are expressed in a very restricted number of cells, often just in single cells. We assign GPCR reporter expression to all but two of the 37 sensory neuron classes of the sex-shared, core nervous system. Some sensory neurons express a very small number of receptors, while others, particularly nociceptive neurons, coexpress several dozen GPCR reporter genes. GPCR reporters are also expressed in a wide range of inter- and motorneurons, as well as non-neuronal cells, suggesting that GPCRs may constitute receptors not just for environmental signals, but also for internal cues. We observe only one notable, frequent association of coexpression patterns, namely in one nociceptive amphid (ASH) and two nociceptive phasmid sensory neurons (PHA, PHB). We identified GPCRs with sexually dimorphic expression and several GPCR reporters that are expressed in a left/right asymmetric manner. We identified a substantial degree of GPCR expression plasticity; particularly in the context of the environmentally-induced dauer diapause stage when one third of all tested GPCRs alter the cellular specificity of their expression within and outside the nervous system. Intriguingly, in a number of cases, the dauer-specific alterations of GPCR reporter expression in specific neuron classes are maintained during postdauer life and in some case new patterns are induced post-dauer, demonstrating that GPCR gene expression may serve as traits of life history. Taken together, our resource provides an entry point for functional studies and also offers a host of molecular markers for studying molecular patterning and plasticity of the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berta Vidal
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Ulkar Aghayeva
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Haosheng Sun
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Chen Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Lori Glenwinkel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Emily A. Bayer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Oliver Hobert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
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35
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Ghosh DD, Nitabach MN, Zhang Y, Harris G. Multisensory integration in C. elegans. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2017; 43:110-118. [PMID: 28273525 PMCID: PMC5501174 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2017.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Revised: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Multisensory integration is a neural process by which signals from two or more distinct sensory channels are simultaneously processed to form a more coherent representation of the environment. Multisensory integration, especially when combined with a survey of internal states, provides selective advantages for animals navigating complex environments. Despite appreciation of the importance of multisensory integration in behavior, the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Recent work looking at how Caenorhabditis elegans makes multisensory decisions has yielded mechanistic insights into how a relatively simple and well-defined nervous system employs circuit motifs of defined features, synaptic signals and extrasynaptic neurotransmission, as well as neuromodulators in processing and integrating multiple sensory inputs to generate flexible and adaptive behavioral outputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Dipon Ghosh
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Michael N Nitabach
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States; Department of Genetics, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States; Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States.
| | - Yun Zhang
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States.
| | - Gareth Harris
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
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36
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Compartmentalized cGMP Responses of Olfactory Sensory Neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans. J Neurosci 2017; 37:3753-3763. [PMID: 28270568 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2628-16.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2016] [Revised: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) plays a crucial role as a second messenger in the regulation of sensory signal transduction in many organisms. In AWC olfactory sensory neurons of Caenorhabditis elegans, cGMP also has essential and distinctive functions in olfactory sensation and adaptation. According to molecular genetic studies, when nematodes are exposed to odorants, a decrease in cGMP regulates cGMP-gated channels for olfactory sensation. Conversely, for olfactory adaptation, an increase in cGMP activates protein kinase G to modulate cellular physiological functions. Although these opposing cGMP responses in single neurons may occur at the same time, it is unclear how cGMP actually behaves in AWC sensory neurons. A hypothetical explanation for opposing cGMP responses is region-specific behaviors in AWC: for odor sensation, cGMP levels in cilia could decrease, whereas odor adaptation is mediated by increased cGMP levels in soma. Therefore, we visualized intracellular cGMP in AWC with a genetically encoded cGMP indicator, cGi500, and examined spatiotemporal cGMP responses in AWC neurons. The cGMP imaging showed that, after odor exposure, cGMP levels in AWC cilia decreased transiently, whereas levels in dendrites and soma gradually increased. These region-specific responses indicated that the cGMP responses in AWC neurons are explicitly compartmentalized. In addition, we performed Ca2+ imaging to examine the relationship between cGMP and Ca2+ These results suggested that AWC sensory neurons are in fact analogous to vertebrate photoreceptor neurons.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) plays crucial roles in the regulation of sensory signal transduction in many animals. In AWC olfactory sensory neurons of Caenorhabditis elegans, cGMP also has essential and distinctive functions involving olfactory sensation and adaptation. Here, we visualized intracellular cGMP in AWC neurons with a genetically encoded cGMP indicator and examined how these different functions could be regulated by the same second messenger in single neurons. cGMP imaging showed that, after odor application, cGMP levels in cilia decreased transiently, whereas levels in dendrites and soma gradually increased. These region-specific responses indicated that the responses in AWC neurons are explicitly compartmentalized. In addition, by combining cGMP and Ca2+ imaging, we observed that AWC neurons are analogous to vertebrate photoreceptor neurons.
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Altered Sensory Code Drives Juvenile-to-Adult Behavioral Maturation in Caenorhabditis elegans. eNeuro 2017; 3:eN-NWR-0175-16. [PMID: 28083560 PMCID: PMC5220224 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0175-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Revised: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Adults perform better than juveniles in food-seeking tasks. Using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to probe the neural mechanisms underlying behavioral maturation, we found that adults and juveniles require different combinations of sensory neurons to generate age-specific food-seeking behavior. We first show that adults and juveniles differ in their response to and preference for food-associated odors, and we analyze genetic mutants to map the neuronal circuits required for those behavioral responses. We developed a novel device to trap juveniles and record their neuronal activity. Activity measurements revealed that adult and juvenile AWA sensory neurons respond to the addition of diacetyl stimulus, whereas AWB, ASK, and AWC sensory neurons encode its removal specifically in adults. Further, we show that reducing neurotransmission from the additional AWB, ASK, and AWC sensory neurons transforms odor preferences from an adult to a juvenile-like state. We also show that AWB and ASK neurons drive behavioral changes exclusively in adults, providing more evidence that age-specific circuits drive age-specific behavior. Collectively, our results show that an odor-evoked sensory code is modified during the juvenile-to-adult transition in animal development to drive age-appropriate behavior. We suggest that this altered sensory code specifically enables adults to extract additional stimulus features and generate robust behavior.
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Campbell JC, Polan-Couillard LF, Chin-Sang ID, Bendena WG. NPR-9, a Galanin-Like G-Protein Coupled Receptor, and GLR-1 Regulate Interneuronal Circuitry Underlying Multisensory Integration of Environmental Cues in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1006050. [PMID: 27223098 PMCID: PMC4880332 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2015] [Accepted: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
C. elegans inhabit environments that require detection of diverse stimuli to modulate locomotion in order to avoid unfavourable conditions. In a mammalian context, a failure to appropriately integrate environmental signals can lead to Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and epilepsy. Provided that the circuitry underlying mammalian sensory integration can be prohibitively complex, we analyzed nematode behavioral responses in differing environmental contexts to evaluate the regulation of context dependent circuit reconfiguration and sensorimotor control. Our work has added to the complexity of a known parallel circuit, mediated by interneurons AVA and AIB, that integrates sensory cues and is responsible for the initiation of backwards locomotion. Our analysis of the galanin-like G-protein coupled receptor NPR-9 in C. elegans revealed that upregulation of galanin signaling impedes the integration of sensory evoked neuronal signals. Although the expression pattern of npr-9 is limited to AIB, upregulation of the receptor appears to impede AIB and AVA circuits to broadly prevent backwards locomotion, i.e. reversals, suggesting that these two pathways functionally interact. Galanin signaling similarly plays a broadly inhibitory role in mammalian models. Moreover, our identification of a mutant, which rarely initiates backwards movement, allowed us to interrogate locomotory mechanisms underlying chemotaxis. In support of the pirouette model of chemotaxis, organisms that did not exhibit reversal behavior were unable to navigate towards an attractant peak. We also assessed ionotropic glutamate receptor GLR-1 cell-specifically within AIB and determined that GLR-1 fine-tunes AIB activity to modify locomotion following reversal events. Our research highlights that signal integration underlying the initiation and fine-tuning of backwards locomotion is AIB and NPR-9 dependent, and has demonstrated the suitability of C. elegans for analysis of multisensory integration and sensorimotor control. Multiple environmental cues are sensed by an organism in order to coordinate behavioral responses. Consequently, organisms must be able to simultaneously detect and integrate multiple external stimuli in order to appropriately modify their behavior. Identifying the unique circuits mediating the response to individual stimuli and points of overlap is essential to understanding how multiple signals can be integrated for a coordinated behavioral response. In order to analyze individual circuits, we have used the model organism C. elegans. We have identified that a C. elegans neuropeptide receptor (NPR-9) and a glutamate receptor (GLR-1) function in a single interneuron to play a broad regulatory role in multiple neural circuits. Our research has identified that interneuron AIB is involved in the integration of signals from numerous sensory neurons. Moreover, regulation of AIB via a neuropeptide receptor (NPR-9) and a glutamate receptor (GLR-1) coordinates AIB activity in the context of multisensory integration. Long-range chemotaxis behavior, in which an organism alters locomotory patterns based on odorant sensation, is also regulated by NPR-9. Our analysis indicates that reversals, and thus the pirouette model, are sufficient for chemotaxis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason C. Campbell
- Department of Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Ian D. Chin-Sang
- Department of Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - William G. Bendena
- Department of Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Centre for Neuroscience, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Wang J, Jennings AK, Kowalski JR. The Anaphase-Promoting Complex (APC) ubiquitin ligase affects chemosensory behavior in C. elegans. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2013. [PMID: 27190716 PMCID: PMC4867703 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2015] [Accepted: 04/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The regulation of fundamental aspects of neurobiological function has been linked to the ubiquitin signaling system (USS), which regulates the degradation and activity of proteins and is catalyzed by E1, E2, and E3 enzymes. The Anaphase-Promoting Complex (APC) is a multi-subunit E3 ubiquitin ligase that controls diverse developmental and signaling processes in post-mitotic neurons; however, potential roles for the APC in sensory function have yet to be explored. In this study, we examined the effect of the APC ubiquitin ligase on chemosensation in Caenorhabditis elegans by testing chemotaxis to the volatile odorants, diacetyl, pyrazine, and isoamyl alcohol, to which wild-type worms are attracted. Animals with loss of function mutations in either of two alleles (g48 and ye143) of the gene encoding the APC subunit EMB-27 APC6 showed increased chemotaxis towards diacetyl and pyrazine, odorants sensed by AWA neurons, but exhibited normal chemotaxis to isoamyl alcohol, which is sensed by AWC neurons. The statistically significant increase in chemotaxis in the emb-27 APC6 mutants suggests that the APC inhibits AWA-mediated chemosensation in C. elegans. Increased chemotaxis to pyrazine was also seen with mutants lacking another essential APC subunit, MAT-2 APC1; however, mat-2 APC1 mutants exhibited wild type responses to diacetyl. The difference in responsiveness of these two APC subunit mutants may be due to differential strength of these hypomorphic alleles or may indicate the presence of functional sub-complexes of the APC at work in this process. These findings are the first evidence for APC-mediated regulation of chemosensation and lay the groundwork for further studies aimed at identifying the expression levels, function, and targets of the APC in specific sensory neurons. Because of the similarity between human and C. elegans nervous systems, the role of the APC in sensory neurons may also advance our understanding of human sensory function and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University , Indianapolis, IN , United States
| | - Alexandra K Jennings
- Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University , Indianapolis, IN , United States
| | - Jennifer R Kowalski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University , Indianapolis, IN , United States
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Uozumi T, Hamakawa M, Deno YK, Nakajo N, Hirotsu T. Voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC-1) is required for olfactory sensing in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genes Cells 2015. [PMID: 26223767 DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The Ras-MAP kinase signaling pathway plays important roles for the olfactory reception in olfactory neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans. However, given the absence of phosphorylation targets of MAPK in the olfactory neurons, the mechanism by which this pathway regulates olfactory function is unknown. Here, we used proteomic screening to identify the mitochondrial voltage-dependent anion channel VDAC-1 as a candidate target molecule of MAPK in the olfactory system of C. elegans. We found that Amphid Wing "C" (AWC) olfactory neuron-specific knockdown of vdac-1 caused severe defects in chemotaxis toward AWC-sensed odorants. We generated a new vdac-1 mutant using the CRISPR-Cas9 system, with this mutant also showing decreased chemotaxis toward odorants. This defect was rescued by AWC-specific expression of vdac-1, indicating that functions of VDAC-1 in AWC neurons are essential for normal olfactory reception in C. elegans. We observed that AWC-specific RNAi of vdac-1 reduced AWC calcium responses to odorant stimuli and caused a decrease in the quantity of mitochondria in the sensory cilia. Behavioral abnormalities in vdac-1 knockdown animals might therefore be due to reduction of AWC response, which might be caused by loss of mitochondria in the cilia. Here, we showed that the function of VDAC-1 is regulated by phosphorylation and identified Thr175 as the potential phosphorylation site of MAP kinase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takayuki Uozumi
- Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan
| | - Masayuki Hamakawa
- Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan
| | - Yu-Ki Deno
- Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan
| | - Nobushige Nakajo
- Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.,Department of Biology, Graduate School of Sciences, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan
| | - Takaaki Hirotsu
- Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.,Department of Biology, Graduate School of Sciences, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.,Division of Applied Medical Sensing, Research and Development Center for Taste and Odor Sensing, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
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Hirotsu T, Sonoda H, Uozumi T, Shinden Y, Mimori K, Maehara Y, Ueda N, Hamakawa M. A highly accurate inclusive cancer screening test using Caenorhabditis elegans scent detection. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118699. [PMID: 25760772 PMCID: PMC4356513 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2014] [Accepted: 01/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Early detection and treatment are of vital importance to the successful eradication of various cancers, and development of economical and non-invasive novel cancer screening systems is critical. Previous reports using canine scent detection demonstrated the existence of cancer-specific odours. However, it is difficult to introduce canine scent recognition into clinical practice because of the need to maintain accuracy. In this study, we developed a Nematode Scent Detection Test (NSDT) using Caenorhabditis elegans to provide a novel highly accurate cancer detection system that is economical, painless, rapid and convenient. We demonstrated wild-type C. elegans displayed attractive chemotaxis towards human cancer cell secretions, cancer tissues and urine from cancer patients but avoided control urine; in parallel, the response of the olfactory neurons of C. elegans to the urine from cancer patients was significantly stronger than to control urine. In contrast, G protein α mutants and olfactory neurons-ablated animals were not attracted to cancer patient urine, suggesting that C. elegans senses odours in urine. We tested 242 samples to measure the performance of the NSDT, and found the sensitivity was 95.8%; this is markedly higher than that of other existing tumour markers. Furthermore, the specificity was 95.0%. Importantly, this test was able to diagnose various cancer types tested at the early stage (stage 0 or 1). To conclude, C. elegans scent-based analyses might provide a new strategy to detect and study disease-associated scents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takaaki Hirotsu
- Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- Division of Applied Medical Sensing, Research and Development Center for Taste and Odor Sensing, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- * E-mail: (TH); (HS)
| | - Hideto Sonoda
- Division of Applied Medical Sensing, Research and Development Center for Taste and Odor Sensing, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- Department of General Surgery, Imari-Arita Kyoritsu Hospital, Saga, Japan
- Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- * E-mail: (TH); (HS)
| | - Takayuki Uozumi
- Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yoshiaki Shinden
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Oita, Japan
| | - Koshi Mimori
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Oita, Japan
| | - Yoshihiko Maehara
- Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Naoko Ueda
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Masayuki Hamakawa
- Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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Tozzi A. Information processing in the CNS: a supramolecular chemistry? Cogn Neurodyn 2015; 9:463-77. [PMID: 26379797 DOI: 10.1007/s11571-015-9337-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2014] [Revised: 02/02/2015] [Accepted: 03/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
How does central nervous system process information? Current theories are based on two tenets: (a) information is transmitted by action potentials, the language by which neurons communicate with each other-and (b) homogeneous neuronal assemblies of cortical circuits operate on these neuronal messages where the operations are characterized by the intrinsic connectivity among neuronal populations. In this view, the size and time course of any spike is stereotypic and the information is restricted to the temporal sequence of the spikes; namely, the "neural code". However, an increasing amount of novel data point towards an alternative hypothesis: (a) the role of neural code in information processing is overemphasized. Instead of simply passing messages, action potentials play a role in dynamic coordination at multiple spatial and temporal scales, establishing network interactions across several levels of a hierarchical modular architecture, modulating and regulating the propagation of neuronal messages. (b) Information is processed at all levels of neuronal infrastructure from macromolecules to population dynamics. For example, intra-neuronal (changes in protein conformation, concentration and synthesis) and extra-neuronal factors (extracellular proteolysis, substrate patterning, myelin plasticity, microbes, metabolic status) can have a profound effect on neuronal computations. This means molecular message passing may have cognitive connotations. This essay introduces the concept of "supramolecular chemistry", involving the storage of information at the molecular level and its retrieval, transfer and processing at the supramolecular level, through transitory non-covalent molecular processes that are self-organized, self-assembled and dynamic. Finally, we note that the cortex comprises extremely heterogeneous cells, with distinct regional variations, macromolecular assembly, receptor repertoire and intrinsic microcircuitry. This suggests that every neuron (or group of neurons) embodies different molecular information that hands an operational effect on neuronal computation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arturo Tozzi
- ASL Napoli 2 Nord, Distretto 45, Via Santa Chiara, 80023 Caivano, Naples, Italy
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Hamakawa M, Uozumi T, Ueda N, Iino Y, Hirotsu T. A role for Ras in inhibiting circular foraging behavior as revealed by a new method for time and cell-specific RNAi. BMC Biol 2015; 13:6. [PMID: 25603799 PMCID: PMC4321700 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-015-0114-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2014] [Accepted: 01/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans, in which loss-of-function mutants and RNA interference (RNAi) models are available, is a model organism useful for analyzing effects of genes on various life phenomena, including behavior. In particular, RNAi is a powerful tool that enables time- or cell-specific knockdown via heat shock-inducible RNAi or cell-specific RNAi. However, conventional RNAi is insufficient for investigating pleiotropic genes with various sites of action and life stage-dependent functions. RESULTS Here, we investigated the Ras gene for its role in exploratory behavior in C. elegans. We found that, under poor environmental conditions, mutations in the Ras-MAPK signaling pathway lead to circular locomotion instead of normal exploratory foraging. Spontaneous foraging is regulated by a neural circuit composed of three classes of neurons: IL1, OLQ, and RMD, and we found that Ras functions in this neural circuit to modulate the direction of locomotion. We further observed that Ras plays an essential role in the regulation of GLR-1 glutamate receptor localization in RMD neurons. To investigate the temporal- and cell-specific profiles of the functions of Ras, we developed a new RNAi method that enables simultaneous time- and cell-specific knockdown. In this method, one RNA strand is expressed by a cell-specific promoter and the other by a heat shock promoter, resulting in only expression of double-stranded RNA in the target cell when heat shock is induced. This technique revealed that control of GLR-1 localization in RMD neurons requires Ras at the adult stage. Further, we demonstrated the application of this method to other genes. CONCLUSIONS We have established a new RNAi method that performs simultaneous time- and cell-specific knockdown and have applied this to reveal temporal profiles of the Ras-MAPK pathway in the control of exploratory behavior under poor environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masayuki Hamakawa
- Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 812-8581, Japan.
| | - Takayuki Uozumi
- Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 812-8581, Japan.
| | - Naoko Ueda
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 812-8581, Japan.
| | - Yuichi Iino
- Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
| | - Takaaki Hirotsu
- Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 812-8581, Japan. .,Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 812-8581, Japan. .,Department of Biology, Graduate School of Sciences, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8581, Japan. .,Division of Applied Medical Sensing, Research and Development Center for Taste and Odor Sensing, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan.
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Hierarchical sparse coding in the sensory system of Caenorhabditis elegans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:1185-9. [PMID: 25583501 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1423656112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals with compact sensory systems face an encoding problem where a small number of sensory neurons are required to encode information about its surrounding complex environment. Using Caenorhabditis elegans worms as a model, we ask how chemical stimuli are encoded by a small and highly connected sensory system. We first generated a comprehensive library of transgenic worms where each animal expresses a genetically encoded calcium indicator in individual sensory neurons. This library includes the vast majority of the sensory system in C. elegans. Imaging from individual sensory neurons while subjecting the worms to various stimuli allowed us to compile a comprehensive functional map of the sensory system at single neuron resolution. The functional map reveals that despite the dense wiring, chemosensory neurons represent the environment using sparse codes. Moreover, although anatomically closely connected, chemo- and mechano-sensory neurons are functionally segregated. In addition, the code is hierarchical, where few neurons participate in encoding multiple cues, whereas other sensory neurons are stimulus specific. This encoding strategy may have evolved to mitigate the constraints of a compact sensory system.
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Tehseen M, Dumancic M, Briggs L, Wang J, Berna A, Anderson A, Trowell S. Functional coupling of a nematode chemoreceptor to the yeast pheromone response pathway. PLoS One 2014; 9:e111429. [PMID: 25415379 PMCID: PMC4240545 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2014] [Accepted: 09/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Sequencing of the Caenorhabditis elegans genome revealed sequences encoding more than 1,000 G-protein coupled receptors, hundreds of which may respond to volatile organic ligands. To understand how the worm's simple olfactory system can sense its chemical environment there is a need to characterise a representative selection of these receptors but only very few receptors have been linked to a specific volatile ligand. We therefore set out to design a yeast expression system for assigning ligands to nematode chemoreceptors. We showed that while a model receptor ODR-10 binds to C. elegans Gα subunits ODR-3 and GPA-3 it cannot bind to yeast Gα. However, chimaeras between the nematode and yeast Gα subunits bound to both ODR-10 and the yeast Gβγ subunits. FIG2 was shown to be a superior MAP-dependent promoter for reporter expression. We replaced the endogenous Gα subunit (GPA1) of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ste2Δ sst2Δ far1Δ) triple mutant ("Cyb") with a Gpa1/ODR-3 chimaera and introduced ODR-10 as a model nematode GPCR. This strain showed concentration-dependent activation of the yeast MAP kinase pathway in the presence of diacetyl, the first time that the native form of a nematode chemoreceptor has been functionally expressed in yeast. This is an important step towards en masse de-orphaning of C. elegans chemoreceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Tehseen
- CSIRO Food Futures National Research Flagship & CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Australia, PO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Mira Dumancic
- CSIRO Food Futures National Research Flagship & CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Australia, PO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Lyndall Briggs
- CSIRO Food Futures National Research Flagship & CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Australia, PO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Jian Wang
- CSIRO Food Futures National Research Flagship & CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Australia, PO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Amalia Berna
- CSIRO Food Futures National Research Flagship & CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Australia, PO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Alisha Anderson
- CSIRO Food Futures National Research Flagship & CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Australia, PO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Stephen Trowell
- CSIRO Food Futures National Research Flagship & CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Australia, PO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
- * E-mail:
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