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Loseva E, van Krugten J, Mitra A, Peterman EJG. Single-Molecule Fluorescence Microscopy in Sensory Cilia of Living Caenorhabditis elegans. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2694:133-150. [PMID: 37824003 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3377-9_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Intracellular transport of organelles and biomolecules is vital for several cellular processes. Single-molecule fluorescence microscopy can illuminate molecular aspects of the dynamics of individual biomolecules that remain unresolved in ensemble experiments. For example, studying single-molecule trajectories of moving biomolecules can reveal motility properties such as velocity, diffusivity, location and duration of pauses, etc. We use single-molecule imaging to study the dynamics of microtubule-based motor proteins and their cargo in the primary cilia of living C. elegans. To this end, we employ standard fluorescent proteins, an epi-illuminated, widefield fluorescence microscope, and primarily open-source software. This chapter describes the setup we use, the preparation of samples, a protocol for single-molecule imaging in primary cilia of C. elegans, and data analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizaveta Loseva
- LaserLaB Amsterdam and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jaap van Krugten
- LaserLaB Amsterdam and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Aniruddha Mitra
- LaserLaB Amsterdam and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Erwin J G Peterman
- LaserLaB Amsterdam and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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2
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Brodrick E, Jékely G. Photobehaviours guided by simple photoreceptor systems. Anim Cogn 2023; 26:1817-1835. [PMID: 37650997 PMCID: PMC10770211 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-023-01818-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Light provides a widely abundant energy source and valuable sensory cue in nature. Most animals exposed to light have photoreceptor cells and in addition to eyes, there are many extraocular strategies for light sensing. Here, we review how these simpler forms of detecting light can mediate rapid behavioural responses in animals. Examples of these behaviours include photophobic (light avoidance) or scotophobic (shadow) responses, photokinesis, phototaxis and wavelength discrimination. We review the cells and response mechanisms in these forms of elementary light detection, focusing on aquatic invertebrates with some protist and terrestrial examples to illustrate the general principles. Light cues can be used very efficiently by these simple photosensitive systems to effectively guide animal behaviours without investment in complex and energetically expensive visual structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emelie Brodrick
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK.
| | - Gáspár Jékely
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
- Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
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3
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Bischer AP, Baran TM, Wojtovich AP. Reactive oxygen species drive foraging decisions in Caenorhabditis elegans. Redox Biol 2023; 67:102934. [PMID: 37864874 PMCID: PMC10616421 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2023.102934] [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: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental surveillance-mediated behavior integrates multiple cues through complex signaling mechanisms. In Caenorhabditis elegans, neurons coordinate perception and response through evolutionarily conserved molecular signaling cascades to mediate attraction and avoidance behaviors. However, despite lacking eyes, C. elegans was recently reported to perceive and react to the color blue. Here, we provide an explanation for this apparent color perception. We show that internally-generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) occurring in response to light are additive to exogenous sources of ROS, such as bacterial toxins or photosensitizers. Multiple sub-threshold sources of ROS are integrated to coordinate behavioral responses to the environment with internal physiologic cues, independent of color. We further demonstrate that avoidance behavior can be blocked by antioxidants, while ROS is both sufficient and scalable to phenocopy the avoidance response. Moreover, avoidance behavior in response to ROS is plastic and reversible, suggesting it may occur through a post-translation redox modification. Blue light affects C. elegans behavior through ROS generation by endogenous flavins in a process requiring the neuronal gustatory photoreceptor like protein, LITE-1. Our results demonstrate that LITE-1 is also required for ROS-mediated avoidance of pyocyanin and light-activated photosensitizers and this role is mediated through the modification of Cys44. Overall, these findings demonstrate that ROS and LITE-1 are central mediators of C. elegans foraging behavior through integration of multiple inputs, including light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew P Bischer
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Timothy M Baran
- Department of Imaging Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Andrew P Wojtovich
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
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4
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Tan CH, Ding K, Zhang MG, Sternberg PW. Fluorescence dynamics of lysosomal-related organelle flashing in the intestinal cells of Caenorhabditis elegans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.16.562538. [PMID: 37904973 PMCID: PMC10614822 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.16.562538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
The biological roles of the autofluorescent lysosome-related organelles ("gut granules") in the intestinal cells of many nematodes, including Caenorhabditis elegans, have been shown to play an important role in metabolic and signaling processes, but they have not been fully characterized. We report here a previously undescribed phenomenon in which the autofluorescence of these granules increased and then decreased in a rapid and dynamic manner that may be associated with nutrient availability. We observed that two distinct types of fluorophores are likely present in the gut granules. One displays a "flashing" phenomenon, in which fluorescence decrease is preceded by a sharp increase in fluorescence intensity that expands into the surrounding area, while the other simply decreases in intensity. Gut granule flashing was observed in the different life stages of C. elegans and was also observed in Steinernema hermaphroditum, an evolutionarily distant nematode. We hypothesize that the "flashing" fluorophore is pH-sensitive, and the fluorescence intensity change results from the fluorophore being released from the lysosome-related organelles into the relatively higher pH environment of the cytosol. The visually spectacular dynamic fluorescence phenomenon we describe might provide a handle on the biochemistry and genetics of these lysosome-related organelles.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Keke Ding
- Present address: Innoland biosciences, Hangzhou, 310000, China
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5
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Zanetti RF, Canavan KL, Zhang SG, Magnes J. Multichannel measurements of C. elegans largest Lyapunov exponents using optical diffraction. APPLIED OPTICS 2023; 62:7812-7818. [PMID: 37855491 DOI: 10.1364/ao.500838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Dynamic diffraction (DOD) is a form of microscopy that allows the dynamic tracking of changing shapes in a 1D time series. DOD can capture the locomotion of a nematode while swimming freely in a 3D space, allowing the locomotion of the worm to more closely mimic natural behavior than in some other laboratory environments. More importantly, we are able to see markers of chaos as DOD covers dynamics on multiple length scales. This work introduces a multichannel method to measure the dynamic complexity of microscopic organisms. We show that parameters associated with chaos, such as the largest Lyapunov exponent (LLE), the mean frequency, mutual information (MI), and the embedding dimension, are independent of the specific point sampled in the diffraction pattern, thus demonstrating experimentally the consistency of our dynamic parameters sampled at various locations (channels) in the associated optical far-field pattern.
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6
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Florin F, Bonneau B, Briseño-Roa L, Bessereau JL, Jospin M. Calcineurin-Dependent Homeostatic Response of C. elegans Muscle Cells upon Prolonged Activation of Acetylcholine Receptors. Cells 2023; 12:2201. [PMID: 37681933 PMCID: PMC10486475 DOI: 10.3390/cells12172201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Pharmacological adaptation is a common phenomenon observed during prolonged drug exposure and often leads to drug resistance. Understanding the cellular events involved in adaptation could provide new strategies to circumvent this resistance issue. We used the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to analyze the adaptation to levamisole, an ionotropic acetylcholine receptor agonist, used for decades to treat nematode parasitic infections. Genetic screens in C. elegans identified "adapting mutants" that initially paralyze upon exposure to levamisole as the wild type (WT), but recover locomotion after a few hours whereas WT remain paralyzed. Here, we show that levamisole induces a sustained increase in cytosolic calcium concentration in the muscle cells of adapting mutants, lasting several hours and preceding a decrease in levamisole-sensitive acetylcholine receptors (L-AChR) at the muscle plasma membrane. This decrease correlated with a drop in calcium concentration, a relaxation of the animal's body and a resumption of locomotion. The decrease in calcium and L-AChR content depends on calcineurin activation in muscle cells. We also showed that levamisole adaptation triggers homeostatic mechanisms in muscle cells including mitochondria remodeling, lysosomal tubulation and an increase in autophagic activity. Levamisole adaptation thus provides a new experimental paradigm for studying how cells cope with calcium stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franklin Florin
- Institut NeuroMyoGène, CNRS UMR-5284, INSERM U-1314, MeLiS, Université Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, F-69008 Lyon, France (B.B.); (J.-L.B.)
| | - Benjamin Bonneau
- Institut NeuroMyoGène, CNRS UMR-5284, INSERM U-1314, MeLiS, Université Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, F-69008 Lyon, France (B.B.); (J.-L.B.)
- Institut Curie, CNRS UMR3347, INSERM U1021, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405 Orsay, France
| | - Luis Briseño-Roa
- Institut NeuroMyoGène, CNRS UMR-5284, INSERM U-1314, MeLiS, Université Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, F-69008 Lyon, France (B.B.); (J.-L.B.)
- Medetia Pharmaceuticals, Institut Imagine, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Jean-Louis Bessereau
- Institut NeuroMyoGène, CNRS UMR-5284, INSERM U-1314, MeLiS, Université Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, F-69008 Lyon, France (B.B.); (J.-L.B.)
| | - Maëlle Jospin
- Institut NeuroMyoGène, CNRS UMR-5284, INSERM U-1314, MeLiS, Université Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, F-69008 Lyon, France (B.B.); (J.-L.B.)
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7
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Kumar S, Sharma AK, Tran A, Liu M, Leifer AM. Inhibitory feedback from the motor circuit gates mechanosensory processing in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002280. [PMID: 37733772 PMCID: PMC10617738 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002280] [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: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals must integrate sensory cues with their current behavioral context to generate a suitable response. How this integration occurs is poorly understood. Previously, we developed high-throughput methods to probe neural activity in populations of Caenorhabditis elegans and discovered that the animal's mechanosensory processing is rapidly modulated by the animal's locomotion. Specifically, we found that when the worm turns it suppresses its mechanosensory-evoked reversal response. Here, we report that C. elegans use inhibitory feedback from turning-associated neurons to provide this rapid modulation of mechanosensory processing. By performing high-throughput optogenetic perturbations triggered on behavior, we show that turning-associated neurons SAA, RIV, and/or SMB suppress mechanosensory-evoked reversals during turns. We find that activation of the gentle-touch mechanosensory neurons or of any of the interneurons AIZ, RIM, AIB, and AVE during a turn is less likely to evoke a reversal than activation during forward movement. Inhibiting neurons SAA, RIV, and SMB during a turn restores the likelihood with which mechanosensory activation evokes reversals. Separately, activation of premotor interneuron AVA evokes reversals regardless of whether the animal is turning or moving forward. We therefore propose that inhibitory signals from SAA, RIV, and/or SMB gate mechanosensory signals upstream of neuron AVA. We conclude that C. elegans rely on inhibitory feedback from the motor circuit to modulate its response to sensory stimuli on fast timescales. This need for motor signals in sensory processing may explain the ubiquity in many organisms of motor-related neural activity patterns seen across the brain, including in sensory processing areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Kumar
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Anuj K. Sharma
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Andrew Tran
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Mochi Liu
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Andrew M. Leifer
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
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8
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Hanson SM, Scholüke J, Liewald J, Sharma R, Ruse C, Engel M, Schüler C, Klaus A, Arghittu S, Baumbach F, Seidenthal M, Dill H, Hummer G, Gottschalk A. Structure-function analysis suggests that the photoreceptor LITE-1 is a light-activated ion channel. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3423-3435.e5. [PMID: 37527662 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.07.008] [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: 12/04/2022] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Sensation of light is essential for all organisms. The eye-less nematode Caenorhabditis elegans detects UV and blue light to evoke escape behavior. The photosensor LITE-1 absorbs UV photons with an unusually high extinction coefficient, involving essential tryptophans. Here, we modeled the structure and dynamics of LITE-1 using AlphaFold2-multimer and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and performed mutational and behavioral assays in C. elegans to characterize its function. LITE-1 resembles olfactory and gustatory receptors from insects, recently shown to be tetrameric ion channels. We identified residues required for channel gating, light absorption, and mechanisms of photo-oxidation, involving a likely binding site for the peroxiredoxin PRDX-2. Furthermore, we identified the binding pocket for a putative chromophore. Several residues lining this pocket have previously been established as essential for LITE-1 function. A newly identified critical cysteine pointing into the pocket represents a likely chromophore attachment site. We derived a model for how photon absorption, via a network of tryptophans and other aromatic amino acids, induces an excited state that is transferred to the chromophore. This evokes conformational changes in the protein, possibly leading to a state receptive to oxidation of cysteines and, jointly, to channel gating. Electrophysiological data support the idea that LITE-1 is a photon and H2O2-coincidence detector. Other proteins with similarity to LITE-1, specifically C. elegans GUR-3, likely use a similar mechanism for photon detection. Thus, a common protein fold and assembly, used for chemoreception in insects, possibly by binding of a particular compound, may have evolved into a light-activated ion channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonya M Hanson
- Center for Computational Biology and Center for Computational Mathematics, Flatiron Institute, Simons Foundation, 162 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10010, USA; Department of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 3, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - Jan Scholüke
- Buchmann Institute, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 15, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jana Liewald
- Buchmann Institute, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 15, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Rachita Sharma
- Department of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 3, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; Buchmann Institute, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 15, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Cellular Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 3, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; Institute of Biophysics, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Christiane Ruse
- Buchmann Institute, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 15, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Marcial Engel
- Buchmann Institute, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 15, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Christina Schüler
- Buchmann Institute, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 15, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Annabel Klaus
- Buchmann Institute, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 15, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Serena Arghittu
- Buchmann Institute, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 15, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Cellular Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 3, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Franziska Baumbach
- Buchmann Institute, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 15, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Marius Seidenthal
- Buchmann Institute, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 15, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Holger Dill
- Buchmann Institute, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 15, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Gerhard Hummer
- Department of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 3, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; Institute of Biophysics, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Alexander Gottschalk
- Buchmann Institute, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 15, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany.
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9
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Cannon KE, Ranasinghe M, Millhouse PW, Roychowdhury A, Dobrunz LE, Foulger SH, Gauntt DM, Anker JN, Bolding M. LITE-1 mediates behavioral responses to X-rays in Caenorhabditis elegans. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1210138. [PMID: 37638310 PMCID: PMC10450342 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1210138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Rapid sensory detection of X-ray stimulation has been documented across a wide variety of species, but few studies have explored the underlying molecular mechanisms. Here we report the discovery of an acute behavioral avoidance response in wild type Caenorhabditis elegans to X-ray stimulation. The endogenous C. elegans UV-photoreceptor protein LITE-1 was found to mediate the locomotory avoidance response. Transgenic expression of LITE-1 in C. elegans muscle cells resulted in paralysis and egg ejection responses to X-ray stimulation, demonstrating that ectopic expression of LITE-1 can confer X-ray sensitivity to otherwise X-ray insensitive cells. This work represents the first demonstration of rapid X-ray based genetically targeted (X-genetic) manipulation of cellular electrical activity in intact behaving animals. Our findings suggest that LITE-1 has strong potential for use in this minimally invasive form of neuromodulation to transduce transcranial X-ray signals for precise manipulation of neural activity in mammals, bypassing the need for invasive surgical implants to deliver stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelli E. Cannon
- Department of Vision Sciences, School of Optometry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
- Department of Neurobiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
- Department of Radiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | | | - Paul W. Millhouse
- Department of Chemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States
| | - Ayona Roychowdhury
- Department of Radiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Lynn E. Dobrunz
- Department of Neurobiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Stephen H. Foulger
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States
| | - David M. Gauntt
- Department of Radiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Jeffrey N. Anker
- Department of Chemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States
| | - Mark Bolding
- Department of Radiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
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10
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Le E, McCarthy T, Honer M, Curtin CE, Fingerut J, Nelson MD. The neuropeptide receptor npr-38 regulates avoidance and stress-induced sleep in Caenorhabditis elegans. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3155-3168.e9. [PMID: 37419114 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.06.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Although essential and conserved, sleep is not without its challenges that must be overcome; most notably, it renders animals vulnerable to threats in the environment. Infection and injury increase sleep demand, which dampens sensory responsiveness to stimuli, including those responsible for the initial insult. Stress-induced sleep in Caenorhabditis elegans occurs in response to cellular damage following noxious exposures the animals attempted to avoid. Here, we describe a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) encoded by npr-38, which is required for stress-related responses including avoidance, sleep, and arousal. Overexpression of npr-38 shortens the avoidance phase and causes animals to initiate movement quiescence and arouse early. npr-38 functions in the ADL sensory neurons, which express neuropeptides encoded by nlp-50, also required for movement quiescence. npr-38 regulates arousal by acting on the DVA and RIS interneurons. Our work demonstrates that this single GPCR regulates multiple aspects of the stress response by functioning in sensory and sleep interneurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Le
- Department of Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA
| | - Teagan McCarthy
- Department of Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA
| | - Madison Honer
- Department of Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA
| | - Caroline E Curtin
- Department of Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA
| | - Jonathan Fingerut
- Department of Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA
| | - Matthew D Nelson
- Department of Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA.
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11
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Choi U, Hu M, Zhang Q, Sieburth D. The head mesodermal cell couples FMRFamide neuropeptide signaling with rhythmic muscle contraction in C. elegans. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4218. [PMID: 37452027 PMCID: PMC10349088 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39955-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
FMRFamides are evolutionarily conserved neuropeptides that play critical roles in behavior, energy balance, and reproduction. Here, we show that FMRFamide signaling from the nervous system is critical for the rhythmic activation of a single cell of previously unknown function, the head mesodermal cell (hmc) in C. elegans. Behavioral, calcium imaging, and genetic studies reveal that release of the FLP-22 neuropeptide from the AVL neuron in response to pacemaker signaling activates hmc every 50 s through an frpr-17 G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) and a protein kinase A signaling cascade in hmc. hmc activation results in muscle contraction through coupling by gap junctions composed of UNC-9/Innexin. hmc activation is inhibited by the neuronal release of a second FMRFamide-like neuropeptide, FLP-9, which functions through its GPCR, frpr-21, in hmc. This study reveals a function for two opposing FMRFamide signaling pathways in controlling the rhythmic activation of a target cell through volume transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ukjin Choi
- DSR graduate program, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Mingxi Hu
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Qixin Zhang
- MPHY program, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Derek Sieburth
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA.
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA.
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12
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Li Z, Fouad AD, Bowlin PD, Fan Y, He S, Chang MC, Du A, Teng C, Kassouni A, Ji H, Raizen DM, Fang-Yen C. A robotic system for automated genetic manipulation and analysis of Caenorhabditis elegans. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad197. [PMID: 37416871 PMCID: PMC10321491 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is one of the most widely studied organisms in biology due to its small size, rapid life cycle, and manipulable genetics. Research with C. elegans depends on labor-intensive and time-consuming manual procedures, imposing a major bottleneck for many studies, especially for those involving large numbers of animals. Here, we describe a general-purpose tool, WormPicker, a robotic system capable of performing complex genetic manipulations and other tasks by imaging, phenotyping, and transferring C. elegans on standard agar media. Our system uses a motorized stage to move an imaging system and a robotic arm over an array of agar plates. Machine vision tools identify animals and assay developmental stage, morphology, sex, expression of fluorescent reporters, and other phenotypes. Based on the results of these assays, the robotic arm selectively transfers individual animals using an electrically self-sterilized wire loop, with the aid of machine vision and electrical capacitance sensing. Automated C. elegans manipulation shows reliability and throughput comparable with standard manual methods. We developed software to enable the system to autonomously carry out complex protocols. To validate the effectiveness and versatility of our methods, we used the system to perform a collection of common C. elegans procedures, including genetic crossing, genetic mapping, and genomic integration of a transgene. Our robotic system will accelerate C. elegans research and open possibilities for performing genetic and pharmacological screens that would be impractical using manual methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihao Li
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Anthony D Fouad
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Peter D Bowlin
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yuying Fan
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Siming He
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Meng-Chuan Chang
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Angelica Du
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Christopher Teng
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Alexander Kassouni
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Hongfei Ji
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - David M Raizen
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Christopher Fang-Yen
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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13
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Yu S, Shao Y, Qiu Q, Cheng Y, Qing R, Wang CF, Chen S, Xu C. Photo-and thermo-regulation by photonic crystals for extended longevity of C. elegans. Mech Ageing Dev 2023; 212:111819. [PMID: 37120065 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2023.111819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
Methods allowing light energy to be modulated in a controllable fashion are potentially important for finding the correlation between light-related environmental factors and aging-related lifespan. Here, we report photo- and thermo-regulation based on photonic crystals (PCs) for extended longevity of C. elegans. We show that PCs can function as a regulator of visible spectrum to tune photonic energy received by C.elegans. We provide direct evidence that lifespan depends on photonic energy, and the use of PCs reflecting blue light (440-537nm) gives 8.3% increasement in lifespan. We demonstrate that the exposure to modulated light alleviates photo-oxidative stress and unfolded-protein response. We realize reflective passive cooling temperature using PCs, and favorable low temperature could be created for worms to extend lifespan. This work offers a new path based on PCs to resist negative effects light and temperature for longevity, provides an available platform for studying the role of light in aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuzhen Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yating Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Qineng Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yu Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Renkun Qing
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Cai-Feng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Su Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Chen Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
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14
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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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15
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Migliori ML, Goya ME, Lamberti ML, Silva F, Rota R, Bénard C, Golombek DA. Caenorhabditis elegans as a Promising Model Organism in Chronobiology. J Biol Rhythms 2023; 38:131-147. [PMID: 36680418 DOI: 10.1177/07487304221143483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Circadian rhythms represent an adaptive feature, ubiquitously found in nature, which grants living beings the ability to anticipate daily variations in their environment. They have been found in a multitude of organisms, ranging from bacteria to fungi, plants, and animals. Circadian rhythms are generated by endogenous clocks that can be entrained daily by environmental cycles such as light and temperature. The molecular machinery of circadian clocks includes a transcriptional-translational feedback loop that takes approximately 24 h to complete. Drosophila melanogaster has been a model organism of choice to understand the molecular basis of circadian clocks. However, alternative animal models are also being adopted, each offering their respective experimental advantages. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans provides an excellent model for genetics and neuro-behavioral studies, which thanks to its ease of use and manipulation, as well as availability of genetic data and mutant strains, is currently used as a novel model for circadian research. Here, we aim to evaluate C. elegans as a model for chronobiological studies, focusing on its strengths and weaknesses while reviewing the available literature. Possible zeitgebers (including light and temperature) are also discussed. Determining the molecular bases and the neural circuitry involved in the central pacemaker of the C. elegans' clock will contribute to the understanding of its circadian system, becoming a novel model organism for the study of diseases due to alterations of the circadian cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Laura Migliori
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Bernal, Argentina
| | - María Eugenia Goya
- European Institute for the Biology of Aging, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Francisco Silva
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Bernal, Argentina
| | - Rosana Rota
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Bernal, Argentina
| | - Claire Bénard
- Department of Biological Sciences, CERMO-FC Research Center, Universite du Québec à Montréal, Montreál, QC, Canada
| | - Diego Andrés Golombek
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Bernal, Argentina
- Universidad de San Andrés, Victoria, Argentina
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16
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Seidenthal M, Jánosi B, Rosenkranz N, Schuh N, Elvers N, Willoughby M, Zhao X, Gottschalk A. pOpsicle: An all-optical reporter system for synaptic vesicle recycling combining pH-sensitive fluorescent proteins with optogenetic manipulation of neuronal activity. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1120651. [PMID: 37066081 PMCID: PMC10102542 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1120651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
pH-sensitive fluorescent proteins are widely used to study synaptic vesicle (SV) fusion and recycling. When targeted to the lumen of SVs, fluorescence of these proteins is quenched by the acidic pH. Following SV fusion, they are exposed to extracellular neutral pH, resulting in a fluorescence increase. SV fusion, recycling and acidification can thus be tracked by tagging integral SV proteins with pH-sensitive proteins. Neurotransmission is generally activated by electrical stimulation, which is not feasible in small, intact animals. Previous in vivo approaches depended on distinct (sensory) stimuli, thus limiting the addressable neuron types. To overcome these limitations, we established an all-optical approach to stimulate and visualize SV fusion and recycling. We combined distinct pH-sensitive fluorescent proteins (inserted into the SV protein synaptogyrin) and light-gated channelrhodopsins (ChRs) for optical stimulation, overcoming optical crosstalk and thus enabling an all-optical approach. We generated two different variants of the pH-sensitive optogenetic reporter of vesicle recycling (pOpsicle) and tested them in cholinergic neurons of intact Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes. First, we combined the red fluorescent protein pHuji with the blue-light gated ChR2(H134R), and second, the green fluorescent pHluorin combined with the novel red-shifted ChR ChrimsonSA. In both cases, fluorescence increases were observed after optical stimulation. Increase and subsequent decline of fluorescence was affected by mutations of proteins involved in SV fusion and endocytosis. These results establish pOpsicle as a non-invasive, all-optical approach to investigate different steps of the SV cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marius Seidenthal
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Barbara Jánosi
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Nils Rosenkranz
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Noah Schuh
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Nora Elvers
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Miles Willoughby
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Xinda Zhao
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Alexander Gottschalk
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- *Correspondence: Alexander Gottschalk,
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17
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Malkemper EP, Pikulik P, Krause TL, Liu J, Zhang L, Hamauei B, Scholz M. C. elegans is not a robust model organism for the magnetic sense. Commun Biol 2023; 6:242. [PMID: 36871106 PMCID: PMC9985618 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04586-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Magnetoreception is defined as the ability to sense and use the Earth's magnetic field, for example to orient and direct movements. The receptors and sensory mechanisms underlying behavioral responses to magnetic fields remain unclear. A previous study described magnetoreception in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, which requires the activity of a single pair of sensory neurons. These results suggest C. elegans as a tractable model organism for facilitating the search for magnetoreceptors and signaling pathways. The finding is controversial, however, as an attempt to replicate the experiment in a different laboratory was unsuccessful. We here independently test the magnetic sense of C. elegans, closely replicating the assays developed in the original publication. We find that C. elegans show no directional preference in magnetic fields of both natural and higher intensity, suggesting that magnetotactic behavior in the worm is not robustly evoked in a laboratory setting. Given the lack of a robust magnetic response under controlled conditions, we conclude that C. elegans is not a suitable model organism to study the mechanism of the magnetic sense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erich Pascal Malkemper
- Max Planck Research Group Neurobiology of Magnetoreception, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior - caesar, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Patrycja Pikulik
- Max Planck Research Group Neurobiology of Magnetoreception, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior - caesar, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, 16521, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Tim Luca Krause
- Max Planck Research Group Neurobiology of Magnetoreception, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior - caesar, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jun Liu
- Max Planck Research Group Neural Information Flow, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior - caesar, Bonn, Germany
| | - Li Zhang
- Max Planck Research Group Neurobiology of Magnetoreception, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior - caesar, Bonn, Germany
| | - Brittany Hamauei
- Max Planck Research Group Neurobiology of Magnetoreception, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior - caesar, Bonn, Germany
| | - Monika Scholz
- Max Planck Research Group Neural Information Flow, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior - caesar, Bonn, Germany.
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18
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Benton R, Himmel NJ. Structural screens identify candidate human homologs of insect chemoreceptors and cryptic Drosophila gustatory receptor-like proteins. eLife 2023; 12:85537. [PMID: 36803935 PMCID: PMC9998090 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Insect odorant receptors and gustatory receptors define a superfamily of seven transmembrane domain ion channels (referred to here as 7TMICs), with homologs identified across Animalia except Chordata. Previously, we used sequence-based screening methods to reveal conservation of this family in unicellular eukaryotes and plants (DUF3537 proteins) (Benton et al., 2020). Here, we combine three-dimensional structure-based screening, ab initio protein folding predictions, phylogenetics, and expression analyses to characterize additional candidate homologs with tertiary but little or no primary structural similarity to known 7TMICs, including proteins in disease-causing Trypanosoma. Unexpectedly, we identify structural similarity between 7TMICs and PHTF proteins, a deeply conserved family of unknown function, whose human orthologs display enriched expression in testis, cerebellum, and muscle. We also discover divergent groups of 7TMICs in insects, which we term the gustatory receptor-like (Grl) proteins. Several Drosophila melanogaster Grls display selective expression in subsets of taste neurons, suggesting that they are previously unrecognized insect chemoreceptors. Although we cannot exclude the possibility of remarkable structural convergence, our findings support the origin of 7TMICs in a eukaryotic common ancestor, counter previous assumptions of complete loss of 7TMICs in Chordata, and highlight the extreme evolvability of this protein fold, which likely underlies its functional diversification in different cellular contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Benton
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Nathaniel J Himmel
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
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19
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Mobille Z, Follmann R, Vidal-Gadea A, Rosa E. Quantitative description of neuronal calcium dynamics in C. elegans' thermoreception. Biosystems 2023; 223:104814. [PMID: 36435352 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2022.104814] [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: 08/28/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The dynamical mechanisms underlying thermoreception in the nematode C. elegans are studied with a mathematical model for the amphid finger-like ciliated (AFD) neurons. The equations, equipped with Arrhenius temperature factors, account for the worm's thermotaxis when seeking environments at its cultivation temperature, and for the AFD's calcium dynamics when exposed to both linearly ramping and oscillatory temperature stimuli. Calculations of the peak time for calcium responses during simulations of pulse-like temperature inputs are consistent with known behavioral time scales of C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Mobille
- Department of Physics, Illinois State University, Normal, 61790, IL, USA; Department of Mathematics, Illinois State University, Normal, 61790, IL, USA.
| | - Rosangela Follmann
- School of Information Technology, Illinois State University, Normal, 61790, IL, USA.
| | - Andrés Vidal-Gadea
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, 61790, IL, USA.
| | - Epaminondas Rosa
- Department of Physics, Illinois State University, Normal, 61790, IL, USA; School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, 61790, IL, USA.
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20
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Thapliyal S, Glauser DA. Neurogenetic Analysis in Caenorhabditis elegans. Neurogenetics 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-07793-7_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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21
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Wang L, Graziano B, Encalada N, Fernandez-Abascal J, Kaplan DH, Bianchi L. Glial regulators of ions and solutes required for specific chemosensory functions in Caenorhabditis elegans. iScience 2022; 25:105684. [PMID: 36567707 PMCID: PMC9772852 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Glia and accessory cells regulate the microenvironment around neurons and primary sensory cells. However, the impact of specific glial regulators of ions and solutes on functionally diverse primary cells is poorly understood. Here, we systemically investigate the requirement of ion channels and transporters enriched in Caenorhabditis elegans Amsh glia for the function of chemosensory neurons. Although Amsh glia ablated worms show reduced function of ASH, AWC, AWA, and ASE neurons, we show that the loss of glial enriched ion channels and transporters impacts these neurons differently, with nociceptor ASH being the most affected. Furthermore, our analysis underscores the importance of K+, Cl-, and nucleoside homeostasis in the Amphid sensory organ and uncovers the contribution of glial genes implicated in neurological disorders. Our findings build a unique fingerprint of each glial enriched ion channel and transporter and may provide insights into the function of supporting cells of mammalian sensory organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Wang
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Rm 5133 Rosenstiel Building, 1600 NW 10 Avenue, Miami, FL33136, USA
| | - Bianca Graziano
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Rm 5133 Rosenstiel Building, 1600 NW 10 Avenue, Miami, FL33136, USA
| | - Nicole Encalada
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Rm 5133 Rosenstiel Building, 1600 NW 10 Avenue, Miami, FL33136, USA
| | - Jesus Fernandez-Abascal
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Rm 5133 Rosenstiel Building, 1600 NW 10 Avenue, Miami, FL33136, USA
| | - Daryn H. Kaplan
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Rm 5133 Rosenstiel Building, 1600 NW 10 Avenue, Miami, FL33136, USA
| | - Laura Bianchi
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Rm 5133 Rosenstiel Building, 1600 NW 10 Avenue, Miami, FL33136, USA
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22
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Vettkötter D, Schneider M, Goulden BD, Dill H, Liewald J, Zeiler S, Guldan J, Ateş YA, Watanabe S, Gottschalk A. Rapid and reversible optogenetic silencing of synaptic transmission by clustering of synaptic vesicles. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7827. [PMID: 36535932 PMCID: PMC9763335 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35324-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Acutely silencing specific neurons informs about their functional roles in circuits and behavior. Existing optogenetic silencers include ion pumps, channels, metabotropic receptors, and tools that damage the neurotransmitter release machinery. While the former hyperpolarize the cell, alter ionic gradients or cellular biochemistry, the latter allow only slow recovery, requiring de novo synthesis. Thus, tools combining fast activation and reversibility are needed. Here, we use light-evoked homo-oligomerization of cryptochrome CRY2 to silence synaptic transmission, by clustering synaptic vesicles (SVs). We benchmark this tool, optoSynC, in Caenorhabditis elegans, zebrafish, and murine hippocampal neurons. optoSynC clusters SVs, observable by electron microscopy. Locomotion silencing occurs with tauon ~7.2 s and recovers with tauoff ~6.5 min after light-off. optoSynC can inhibit exocytosis for several hours, at very low light intensities, does not affect ion currents, biochemistry or synaptic proteins, and may further allow manipulating different SV pools and the transfer of SVs between them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Vettkötter
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, D-60438, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, D-60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Martin Schneider
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, D-60438, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, D-60438, Frankfurt, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology, D-82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Brady D Goulden
- Department of Cell Biology and Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Holger Dill
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, D-60438, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, D-60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jana Liewald
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, D-60438, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, D-60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sandra Zeiler
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, D-60438, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, D-60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Julia Guldan
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, D-60438, Frankfurt, Germany
- Master Program Interdisciplinary Neurosciences, Department of Biological Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Yilmaz Arda Ateş
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, D-60438, Frankfurt, Germany
- Master Program Interdisciplinary Neurosciences, Department of Biological Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Shigeki Watanabe
- Department of Cell Biology and Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Alexander Gottschalk
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, D-60438, Frankfurt, Germany.
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, D-60438, Frankfurt, Germany.
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23
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High-performance optical control of GPCR signaling by bistable animal opsins MosOpn3 and LamPP in a molecular property-dependent manner. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2204341119. [PMID: 36417444 PMCID: PMC9889881 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2204341119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Optical control of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling is a highly valuable approach for comprehensive understanding of GPCR-based physiologies and controlling them precisely. However, optogenetics for GPCR signaling is still developing and requires effective and versatile tools with performance evaluation from their molecular properties. Here, we systematically investigated performance of two bistable opsins that activate Gi/Go-type G protein (mosquito Opn3 (MosOpn3) and lamprey parapinopsin (LamPP)) in optical control in vivo using Caenorhabditis elegans. Transgenic worms expressing MosOpn3, which binds 13-cis retinal to form photopigments, in nociceptor neurons showed light-induced avoidance responses in the presence of all-trans retinal, a retinal isomer ubiquitously present in every tissue, like microbial rhodopsins and unlike canonical vertebrate opsins. Remarkably, transgenic worms expressing MosOpn3 were ~7,000 times more sensitive to light than transgenic worms expressing ChR2 in this light-induced behavior, demonstrating the advantage of MosOpn3 as a light switch. LamPP is a UV-sensitive bistable opsin having complete photoregenerative ability by green light. Accordingly, transgenic worms expressing LamPP in cholinergic motor neurons stopped moving upon violet light illumination and restored coordinate movement upon green light illumination, demonstrating color-dependent control of behavior using LamPP. Furthermore, we applied molecular engineering to produce MosOpn3-based tools enabling light-dependent upregulation of cAMP or Ca2+ levels and LamPP-based tool enabling clamping cAMP levels color dependently and context independently, extending their usability. These findings define the capacity of two bistable opsins with similar retinal requirement as ChR2, providing numerous strategies for optical control of various GPCR-based physiologies as well as GPCR signaling itself.
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24
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Gianakas CA, Keeley DP, Ramos-Lewis W, Park K, Jayadev R, Kenny IW, Chi Q, Sherwood DR. Hemicentin-mediated type IV collagen assembly strengthens juxtaposed basement membrane linkage. J Cell Biol 2022; 222:213571. [PMID: 36282214 PMCID: PMC9597354 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202112096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Basement membrane (BM) matrices surround and separate most tissues. However, through poorly understood mechanisms, BMs of adjacent tissue can also stably link to support organ structure and function. Using endogenous knock-in fluorescent proteins, conditional RNAi, optogenetics, and quantitative live imaging, we identified extracellular matrix proteins mediating a BM linkage (B-LINK) between the uterine utse and epidermal seam cell BMs in Caenorhabditis elegans that supports the uterus during egg-laying. We found that hemicentin is secreted by the utse and promotes fibulin-1 assembly to jointly initiate the B-LINK. During egg-laying, however, both proteins' levels decline and are not required for B-LINK maintenance. Instead, we discovered that hemicentin recruits ADAMTS9/20, which facilitates the assembly of high levels of type IV collagen that sustains the B-LINK during the mechanically active egg-laying period. This work reveals mechanisms underlying BM-BM linkage maturation and identifies a crucial function for hemicentin and fibulin-1 in initiating attachment and type IV collagen in strengthening this specialized form of tissue linkage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire A. Gianakas
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC,Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | | | | | - Kieop Park
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | | | | | - Qiuyi Chi
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | - David R. Sherwood
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC,Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC,Correspondence to David R. Sherwood:
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Wu J, Gao Y, Xi J, You X, Zhang X, Zhang X, Cao Y, Liu P, Chen X, Luan Y. A high-throughput microplate toxicity screening platform based on Caenorhabditis elegans. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 245:114089. [PMID: 36126550 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), an established model organism, has been widely used in environmental toxicology research. However, most of the current toxicity testing methods based on worms are time-consuming. In this study we aimed to develop an automated and highly-integrated platform for high-throughput and in situ toxicity testing. Considering the superiority of C. elegans as a neurotoxicological model, this platform mainly evaluates general toxicology and neurotoxicology endpoints, which are usually induced by metals and pesticides, the major environmental contaminants. Microplates were used as a worm culturing system, which have good compatibility with any commercial microplate applicable instruments. We developed a microfluidic-based module for worm dispensing, and an image acquisition/analysis module for monitoring worms and detecting toxicity endpoints in bright filed. These were collectively incorporated with a commercial pipetting workstation for automated food/drug delivery and a high-content analysis system for fluorescence detection. The integrated platform achieved an efficient on-demand worm dispensing, long-term maintenance, regular monitoring and imaging, survival assay and behavioral analyses, and visualized gene reporter assay. Moreover, "Lab on Web" was achieved by connecting the platform to the web for remote operation, worm monitoring, and phenotype calculation. To demonstrate the ability of the platform for automated toxicity testing assays; worms were treated with cadmium and longevity, neurotoxicity, developmental toxicity and gst-4 expression were evaluated. We determined its feasibility and proposed the potential application in high-throughput toxicity screening for environmental risk assessment in the nearest future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaying Wu
- School of Public Health, Hongqiao International Institute of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yue Gao
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Micro/Nano Fabrication, Department of Micro/Nano Electronics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jing Xi
- School of Public Health, Hongqiao International Institute of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Xinyue You
- School of Public Health, Hongqiao International Institute of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Xiaohong Zhang
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
| | - Xinyu Zhang
- School of Public Health, Hongqiao International Institute of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yiyi Cao
- School of Public Health, Hongqiao International Institute of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Peichuan Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Micro/Nano Fabrication, Department of Micro/Nano Electronics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xiang Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Micro/Nano Fabrication, Department of Micro/Nano Electronics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
| | - Yang Luan
- School of Public Health, Hongqiao International Institute of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
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26
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Zhou L, Sheng B, Zhang T, Liu W, Guo K, Yu H, Bai L, Hu J. madd-4 plays a critical role in light against Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14796. [PMID: 36042283 PMCID: PMC9427778 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19263-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bursaphelenchus xylophilus is a notorious invasive species, causing extensive losses to pine ecosystems globally. Previous studies had shown that the development of B. xylophilus was seriously suppressed by light. However, the mechanism involved in the inhibition is unknown. Here, it is the first report that Bxy-madd-4 is a light-regulated gene, plays a potential role in B. xylophilus in responding to the blue light. Transcriptome sequencing revealed that the expression level of Bxy-madd-4 declined by 86.39% under blue light. The reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR results were in accord with the transcriptome sequencing, confirming the expression level of Bxy-madd-4 was suppressed by blue light. Bxy-madd-4 promoter::mCherry reporter constructed in Caenorhabditis elegans were utilized to mimic the spatiotemporal expression patterns of Bxy-madd-4. Bxy-madd-4A promoter activity had a strong continuity throughout all development stages in C. elegans. Further RNA interference indicated that only 36.8% of the Bxy-madd-4 dsRNA treated embryos were hatched. Moreover, 71.6% of the hatched nematodes were abnormal, such as particles on the body surface and concave tissues. Our findings contribute towards a better understanding of the mechanism of light against the destructive invasive nematode, providing a promising hint for control of the destructive invasive nematode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lifeng Zhou
- College of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A & F University, Hangzhou, 311300, China
| | - Bicheng Sheng
- College of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A & F University, Hangzhou, 311300, China
| | - Tianyuan Zhang
- College of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A & F University, Hangzhou, 311300, China
| | - Wenyi Liu
- College of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A & F University, Hangzhou, 311300, China
| | - Kai Guo
- College of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A & F University, Hangzhou, 311300, China
| | - Hongshi Yu
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
| | - Liqun Bai
- College of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A & F University, Hangzhou, 311300, China.
| | - Jiafu Hu
- College of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A & F University, Hangzhou, 311300, China
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27
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Ardiel EL, Lauziere A, Xu S, Harvey BJ, Christensen RP, Nurrish S, Kaplan JM, Shroff H. Stereotyped behavioral maturation and rhythmic quiescence in C.elegans embryos. eLife 2022; 11:76836. [PMID: 35929725 PMCID: PMC9448323 DOI: 10.7554/elife.76836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Systematic analysis of rich behavioral recordings is being used to uncover how circuits encode complex behaviors. Here, we apply this approach to embryos. What are the first embryonic behaviors and how do they evolve as early neurodevelopment ensues? To address these questions, we present a systematic description of behavioral maturation for Caenorhabditis elegans embryos. Posture libraries were built using a genetically encoded motion capture suit imaged with light-sheet microscopy and annotated using custom tracking software. Analysis of cell trajectories, postures, and behavioral motifs revealed a stereotyped developmental progression. Early movement is dominated by flipping between dorsal and ventral coiling, which gradually slows into a period of reduced motility. Late-stage embryos exhibit sinusoidal waves of dorsoventral bends, prolonged bouts of directed motion, and a rhythmic pattern of pausing, which we designate slow wave twitch (SWT). Synaptic transmission is required for late-stage motion but not for early flipping nor the intervening inactive phase. A high-throughput behavioral assay and calcium imaging revealed that SWT is elicited by the rhythmic activity of a quiescence-promoting neuron (RIS). Similar periodic quiescent states are seen prenatally in diverse animals and may play an important role in promoting normal developmental outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan L Ardiel
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States
| | - Andrew Lauziere
- National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, Bethesda, United States
| | - Stephen Xu
- National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, Bethesda, United States
| | - Brandon J Harvey
- National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, Bethesda, United States
| | | | - Stephen Nurrish
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States
| | - Joshua M Kaplan
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States
| | - Hari Shroff
- National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, Bethesda, United States
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28
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Li Z, Xu XZS. Chemosensation: Corollary discharge filters out self-generated chemical cues. Curr Biol 2022; 32:R788-R790. [PMID: 35882202 PMCID: PMC10903528 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.06.021] [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: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Corollary discharge allows organisms to discriminate external sensory inputs from self-generated cues. However, the underlying synaptic and molecular mechanisms are not well understood. A new study has identified a tyraminergic corollary discharge signal that extrasynaptically modulates chemosensory neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoyu Li
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - X Z Shawn Xu
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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29
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Alachkar A. Aromatic patterns: Tryptophan aromaticity as a catalyst for the emergence of life and rise of consciousness. Phys Life Rev 2022; 42:93-114. [PMID: 35905538 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2022.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Sunlight held the key to the origin of life on Earth. The earliest life forms, cyanobacteria, captured the sunlight to generate energy through photosynthesis. Life on Earth evolved in accordance with the circadian rhythms tied to sensitivity to sunlight patterns. A unique feature of cyanobacterial photosynthetic proteins and circadian rhythms' molecules, and later of nearly all photon-sensing molecules throughout evolution, is that the aromatic amino acid tryptophan (Trp) resides at the center of light-harvesting active sites. In this perspective, I review the literature and integrate evidence from different scientific fields to explore the role Trp plays in photon-sensing capabilities of living organisms through its resonance delocalization of π-electrons. The observations presented here are the product of apparently unrelated phenomena throughout evolution, but nevertheless share consistent patterns of photon-sensing by Trp-containing and Trp-derived molecules. I posit the unique capacity to transfer electrons during photosynthesis in the earliest life forms is conferred to Trp due to its aromaticity. I propose this ability evolved to assume more complex functions, serving as a host for mechanisms underlying mental aptitudes - a concept which provides a theoretical basis for defining the neural correlates of consciousness. The argument made here is that Trp aromaticity may have allowed for the inception of the mechanistic building blocks used to fabricate complexity in higher forms of life. More specifically, Trp aromatic non-locality may have acted as a catalyst for the emergence of consciousness by instigating long-range synchronization and stabilizing the large-scale coherence of neural networks, which mediate functional brain activity. The concepts proposed in this perspective provide a conceptual foundation that invites further interdisciplinary dialogue aimed at examining and defining the role of aromaticity (beyond Trp) in the emergence of life and consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amal Alachkar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; UC Irvine Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics, School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
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30
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A set of hub neurons and non-local connectivity features support global brain dynamics in C. elegans. Curr Biol 2022; 32:3443-3459.e8. [PMID: 35809568 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.06.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The wiring architecture of neuronal networks is assumed to be a strong determinant of their dynamical computations. An ongoing effort in neuroscience is therefore to generate comprehensive synapse-resolution connectomes alongside brain-wide activity maps. However, the structure-function relationship, i.e., how the anatomical connectome and neuronal dynamics relate to each other on a global scale, remains unsolved. Systematically, comparing graph features in the C. elegans connectome with correlations in nervous system-wide neuronal dynamics, we found that few local connectivity motifs and mostly other non-local features such as triplet motifs and input similarities can predict functional relationships between neurons. Surprisingly, quantities such as connection strength and amount of common inputs do not improve these predictions, suggesting that the network's topology is sufficient. We demonstrate that hub neurons in the connectome are key to these relevant graph features. Consistently, inhibition of multiple hub neurons specifically disrupts brain-wide correlations. Thus, we propose that a set of hub neurons and non-local connectivity features provide an anatomical substrate for global brain dynamics.
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31
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Zhang X, Liu J, Pan T, Ward A, Liu J, Xu XZS. A cilia-independent function of BBSome mediated by DLK-MAPK signaling in C. elegans photosensation. Dev Cell 2022; 57:1545-1557.e4. [PMID: 35649417 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a genetic disorder that affects primary cilia. BBSome, a protein complex composed of eight BBS proteins, regulates the structure and function of cilia, and its malfunction causes BBS in humans. Here, we report a cilia-independent function of BBSome. To identify genes that regulate the C. elegans photoreceptor protein LITE-1 in ciliated ASH photosensory neurons, we performed a genetic screen and isolated bbs mutants. Functional analysis revealed that BBSome regulates LITE-1 protein stability independently of cilia. Through another round of genetic screening, we found that this cilia-independent function of BBSome is mediated by DLK-MAPK signaling, which acts downstream of BBSome to control LITE-1 stability via Rab5-mediated endocytosis. BBSome exerts its function by regulating the expression of DLK. BBSome also regulates the expression of LZK, a mammalian DLK in human cells. These studies identify a cilia-independent function of BBSome and uncover DLK as an evolutionarily conserved BBSome effector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxing Zhang
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical, School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jinzhi Liu
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical, School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; College of Life Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of MOE, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Tong Pan
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical, School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Alex Ward
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jianfeng Liu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of MOE, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - X Z Shawn Xu
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical, School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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32
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Pribic MR, Black AH, Beale AD, Gauvin JA, Chiang LN, Rose JK. Association of Two Opposing Responses Results in the Emergence of a Novel Conditioned Response. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:852266. [PMID: 35571277 PMCID: PMC9102977 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.852266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies examining association of opposing responses, contrasting emotional valences, or counter motivational states have begun to elucidate how learning and memory processes can translate to clinical therapies for trauma or addiction. In the current study, association of opposing responses is tested in C. elegans. Due to its relatively simple and well-described nervous system, it was hypothesized that association of two oppositional stimuli presented in a delayed conditioning protocol would strengthen the behavioral response to the first stimulus (alpha conditioning). To test this, C. elegans were exposed to a tone vibration stimulus (to activate a mechanosensory-driven locomotor reversal response) paired with a blue light (to activate a forward locomotor response) at a 2-s delay. After five pairings, behavior was measured following a tone-alone stimulus. Worms that received stimulus pairing did not show an enhanced response to the first presented stimulus (tone vibration) but rather showed a marked increase in time spent in pause (cessation of movement), a new behavioral response (beta conditioning). This increase in pause behavior was accompanied by changes in measures of both backward and forward locomotion. Understanding the dynamics of conditioned behavior resulting from pairing of oppositional responses could provide further insight into how learning processes occur and may be applied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micaela R. Pribic
- Biology Department, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
| | - Aristide H. Black
- Department of Psychology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
| | - Asia D. Beale
- Department of Psychology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
| | - Jessica A. Gauvin
- Department of Psychology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
| | - Lisa N. Chiang
- Department of Psychology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
| | - Jacqueline K. Rose
- Department of Psychology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
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33
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Shaffer JM, Greenwald I. SALSA, a genetically encoded biosensor for spatiotemporal quantification of Notch signal transduction in vivo. Dev Cell 2022; 57:930-944.e6. [PMID: 35413239 PMCID: PMC9473748 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Notch-mediated lateral specification is a fundamental mechanism to resolve stochastic cell fate choices by amplifying initial differences between equivalent cells. To study how stochastic events impact Notch activity, we developed a biosensor, SALSA (sensor able to detect lateral signaling activity), consisting of an amplifying "switch"-Notch tagged with TEV protease-and a "reporter"-GFP fused to a nuclearly localized red fluorescent protein, separated by a TEVp cut site. When ligand activates Notch, TEVp enters the nucleus and releases GFP from its nuclear tether, allowing Notch activation to be quantified based on the changes in GFP subcellular localization. We show that SALSA accurately reports Notch activity in different signaling paradigms in Caenorhabditis elegans and use time-lapse imaging to test hypotheses about how stochastic elements ensure a reproducible and robust outcome in a canonical lin-12/Notch-mediated lateral signaling paradigm. SALSA should be generalizable to other experimental systems and be adaptable to increase options for bespoke "SynNotch" applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin M Shaffer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Iva Greenwald
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
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34
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Megapixel camera arrays enable high-resolution animal tracking in multiwell plates. Commun Biol 2022; 5:253. [PMID: 35322206 PMCID: PMC8943053 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03206-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Tracking small laboratory animals such as flies, fish, and worms is used for phenotyping in neuroscience, genetics, disease modelling, and drug discovery. An imaging system with sufficient throughput and spatiotemporal resolution would be capable of imaging a large number of animals, estimating their pose, and quantifying detailed behavioural differences at a scale where hundreds of treatments could be tested simultaneously. Here we report an array of six 12-megapixel cameras that record all the wells of a 96-well plate with sufficient resolution to estimate the pose of C. elegans worms and to extract high-dimensional phenotypic fingerprints. We use the system to study behavioural variability across wild isolates, the sensitisation of worms to repeated blue light stimulation, the phenotypes of worm disease models, and worms' behavioural responses to drug treatment. Because the system is compatible with standard multiwell plates, it makes computational ethological approaches accessible in existing high-throughput pipelines.
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35
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Floxed exon (Flexon): A flexibly positioned stop cassette for recombinase-mediated conditional gene expression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2117451119. [PMID: 35027456 PMCID: PMC8784106 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2117451119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Tools that afford spatiotemporal control of gene expression are crucial for studying genes and processes in multicellular organisms. Stop cassettes consist of exogenous sequences that interrupt gene expression and flanking site-specific recombinase sites to allow for tissue-specific excision and restoration of function by expression of the cognate recombinase. We describe a stop cassette called a flexon, composed of an artificial exon flanked by artificial introns that can be flexibly positioned in a gene. We demonstrate its efficacy in Caenorhabditis elegans for lineage-specific control of gene expression and for tissue-specific RNA interference and discuss other potential uses. The Flexon approach should be feasible in any system amenable to site-specific recombination-based methods and applicable to diverse areas including development, neuroscience, and metabolism. Conditional gene expression is a powerful tool for genetic analysis of biological phenomena. In the widely used “lox-stop-lox” approach, insertion of a stop cassette consisting of a series of stop codons and polyadenylation signals flanked by lox sites into the 5′ untranslated region (UTR) of a gene prevents expression until the cassette is excised by tissue-specific expression of Cre recombinase. Although lox-stop-lox and similar approaches using other site-specific recombinases have been successfully used in many experimental systems, this design has certain limitations. Here, we describe the Floxed exon (Flexon) approach, which uses a stop cassette composed of an artificial exon flanked by artificial introns, designed to cause premature termination of translation and nonsense-mediated decay of the mRNA and allowing for flexible placement into a gene. We demonstrate its efficacy in Caenorhabditis elegans by showing that, when promoters that cause weak and/or transient cell-specific expression are used to drive Cre in combination with a gfp(flexon) transgene, strong and sustained expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) is obtained in specific lineages. We also demonstrate its efficacy in an endogenous gene context: we inserted a flexon into the Argonaute gene rde-1 to abrogate RNA interference (RNAi), and restored RNAi tissue specifically by expression of Cre. Finally, we describe several potential additional applications of the Flexon approach, including more precise control of gene expression using intersectional methods, tissue-specific protein degradation, and generation of genetic mosaics. The Flexon approach should be feasible in any system where a site-specific recombination-based method may be applied.
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36
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Bergs A, Henss T, Glock C, Nagpal J, Gottschalk A. Microbial Rhodopsin Optogenetic Tools: Application for Analyses of Synaptic Transmission and of Neuronal Network Activity in Behavior. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2468:89-115. [PMID: 35320562 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2181-3_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Over the past 15 years, optogenetic methods have revolutionized neuroscientific and cell biological research, also in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. In this chapter, we give an update about current optogenetic tools and methods to address neuronal activity and inhibition, as well as second messenger signaling, based on microbial rhodopsins. We address channelrhodopsins and variants thereof, which conduct cations or anions, for depolarization and hyperpolarization of the membrane potential. Also, we cover ion pumping rhodopsins, like halorhodopsin, Mac, and Arch. A recent addition to rhodopsin-based optogenetics is voltage imaging tools that allow fluorescent readout of membrane voltage (directly, via fluorescence of the rhodopsin chromophore retinal, or indirectly, via electrochromic FRET). Last, we report on a new addition to the optogenetic toolbox, which is rhodopsin guanylyl cyclases, as well as mutated variants with specificity for cyclic AMP. These can be used to regulate intracellular levels of cGMP and cAMP, which are important second messengers in sensory and other neurons. We further show how they can be combined with cyclic nucleotide-gated channels in two-component optogenetics, for depolarization or hyperpolarization of membrane potential. For all tools, we present protocols for straightforward experimentation to address neuronal activation and inhibition, particularly at the neuromuscular junction, and for combined optogenetic actuation and Ca2+ imaging. We also provide protocols for usage of rhodopsin guanylyl and adenylyl cyclases. Finally, we list a number of points to consider when designing and conducting rhodopsin-based optogenetic experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelie Bergs
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Thilo Henss
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Caspar Glock
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- Max-Planck-Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jatin Nagpal
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Alexander Gottschalk
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.
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37
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Abstract
Axonal transport is an essential component of neuronal function. Several neurodegenerative disorders have been associated with defects in cargo transport. Thus, studying axonal transport is important to understand such disorders. Live imaging of fluorescently labeled cargo is a prevailing technique to study properties of axonal transport. C. elegans is both transparent and genetically amenable, making it an excellent model system to study axonal transport. In this chapter, we describe protocols to live image several neuronal cargo in vivo in C. elegans neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sandhya P Koushika
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India.
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38
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Katz M. Genetic Methods for Cellular Manipulation in C. elegans. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2468:51-72. [PMID: 35320560 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2181-3_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Neuron manipulation in vivo by ablation, activation or inactivation, and regulation of gene expression is essential for dissecting nervous system function. Here we describe genetic means for neuron manipulation in the nematode C. elegans, and provide protocols for generating transgenic animals containing these genetic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menachem Katz
- Department of Biology, Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
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39
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Strachan EL, Mac White-Begg D, Crean J, Reynolds AL, Kennedy BN, O'Sullivan NC. The Role of Mitochondria in Optic Atrophy With Autosomal Inheritance. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:784987. [PMID: 34867178 PMCID: PMC8634724 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.784987] [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: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Optic atrophy (OA) with autosomal inheritance is a form of optic neuropathy characterized by the progressive and irreversible loss of vision. In some cases, this is accompanied by additional, typically neurological, extra-ocular symptoms. Underlying the loss of vision is the specific degeneration of the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) which form the optic nerve. Whilst autosomal OA is genetically heterogenous, all currently identified causative genes appear to be associated with mitochondrial organization and function. However, it is unclear why RGCs are particularly vulnerable to mitochondrial aberration. Despite the relatively high prevalence of this disorder, there are currently no approved treatments. Combined with the lack of knowledge concerning the mechanisms through which aberrant mitochondrial function leads to RGC death, there remains a clear need for further research to identify the underlying mechanisms and develop treatments for this condition. This review summarizes the genes known to be causative of autosomal OA and the mitochondrial dysfunction caused by pathogenic mutations. Furthermore, we discuss the suitability of available in vivo models for autosomal OA with regards to both treatment development and furthering the understanding of autosomal OA pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elin L Strachan
- UCD Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Delphi Mac White-Begg
- UCD Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - John Crean
- UCD Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,UCD Diabetes Complications Research Centre, Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Alison L Reynolds
- UCD Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Breandán N Kennedy
- UCD Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Niamh C O'Sullivan
- UCD Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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40
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Ozawa K, Shinkai Y, Kako K, Fukamizu A, Doi M. The molecular and neural regulation of ultraviolet light phototaxis and its food-associated learning behavioral plasticity in C. elegans. Neurosci Lett 2021; 770:136384. [PMID: 34890717 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Ultraviolet light is quite toxic to all the animals and evoke the avoidance behavior of UV. The soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans senses UV and is known to avoid UV by using four sensory neurons. However, it is not clear what signaling molecules act for UV avoidance in the neuronal pathway constituted of four sensory neurons. In addition, it is not clear whether this harmful environmental signal can be associated with other benefit signals such as food. In this study, by using newly developed assay system, we found that C. elegans can associate UV and food and changes behavioral strategy against harmful UV signal. This is the first indication that C. elegans shows associate learning with UV and food. Using our assay system, we also found that glutamate is used as a transmitter in both the UV avoidance and UV associate learning neural circuits. However, one sensory neuron showed a significant role for associative learning, compared to a complimentary role in four sensory neurons for direct associative learning, and different sets of glutamate receptors seemed to be acting for UV avoidance and UV associate learning. These findings suggest that a distinct neuronal network is used for UV learning compared to that for direct avoidance behavior of UV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuki Ozawa
- College of Agro-Biological Resource Sciences, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
| | - Yoichi Shinkai
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1, Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8566, Japan
| | - Koichiro Kako
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan; Life Science Center for Survival Dynamics, Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Akiyoshi Fukamizu
- Life Science Center for Survival Dynamics, Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Motomichi Doi
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1, Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8566, Japan.
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41
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Iliff AJ, Wang C, Ronan EA, Hake AE, Guo Y, Li X, Zhang X, Zheng M, Liu J, Grosh K, Duncan RK, Xu XZS. The nematode C. elegans senses airborne sound. Neuron 2021; 109:3633-3646.e7. [PMID: 34555314 PMCID: PMC8602785 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.08.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Unlike olfaction, taste, touch, vision, and proprioception, which are
widespread across animal phyla, hearing is found only in vertebrates and some
arthropods. The vast majority of invertebrate species are thus considered
insensitive to sound. Here, we challenge this conventional view by showing that
the earless nematode C. elegans senses airborne sound at
frequencies reaching the kHz range. Sound vibrates C. elegans
skin, which acts as a pressure-to-displacement transducer similar to vertebrate
eardrum, activates sound-sensitive FLP/PVD neurons attached to the skin, and
evokes phonotaxis behavior. We identified two nAChRs that transduce sound
signals independently of ACh, revealing an unexpected function of nAChRs in
mechanosensation. Thus, the ability to sense airborne sound is not restricted to
vertebrates and arthropods as previously thought, and might have evolved
multiple times independently in the animal kingdom, suggesting convergent
evolution. Our studies also demonstrate that animals without ears may not be
presumed to be sound insensitive. Hearing is thought to exist only in vertebrates and some arthropods, but
not other animal phyla. Here, Xu and colleagues report that the earless nematode
C. elegans senses airborne sound and engages in phonotaxis.
Thus, hearing might have evolved multiple times independently in the animal
kingdom, suggesting convergent evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J Iliff
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Can Wang
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; College of Life Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of MOE, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Elizabeth A Ronan
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Alison E Hake
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Yuling Guo
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; College of Life Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of MOE, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Xia Li
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Xinxing Zhang
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Maohua Zheng
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jianfeng Liu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of MOE, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Karl Grosh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - R Keith Duncan
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - X Z Shawn Xu
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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42
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Montell C. Drosophila sensory receptors-a set of molecular Swiss Army Knives. Genetics 2021; 217:1-34. [PMID: 33683373 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyaa011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic approaches in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, have led to a major triumph in the field of sensory biology-the discovery of multiple large families of sensory receptors and channels. Some of these families, such as transient receptor potential channels, are conserved from animals ranging from worms to humans, while others, such as "gustatory receptors," "olfactory receptors," and "ionotropic receptors," are restricted to invertebrates. Prior to the identification of sensory receptors in flies, it was widely assumed that these proteins function in just one modality such as vision, smell, taste, hearing, and somatosensation, which includes thermosensation, light, and noxious mechanical touch. By employing a vast combination of genetic, behavioral, electrophysiological, and other approaches in flies, a major concept to emerge is that many sensory receptors are multitaskers. The earliest example of this idea was the discovery that individual transient receptor potential channels function in multiple senses. It is now clear that multitasking is exhibited by other large receptor families including gustatory receptors, ionotropic receptors, epithelial Na+ channels (also referred to as Pickpockets), and even opsins, which were formerly thought to function exclusively as light sensors. Genetic characterizations of these Drosophila receptors and the neurons that express them also reveal the mechanisms through which flies can accurately differentiate between different stimuli even when they activate the same receptor, as well as mechanisms of adaptation, amplification, and sensory integration. The insights gleaned from studies in flies have been highly influential in directing investigations in many other animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig Montell
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, The Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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43
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Sando SR, Bhatla N, Lee EL, Horvitz HR. An hourglass circuit motif transforms a motor program via subcellularly localized muscle calcium signaling and contraction. eLife 2021; 10:59341. [PMID: 34212858 PMCID: PMC8331187 DOI: 10.7554/elife.59341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural control of muscle function is fundamental to animal behavior. Many muscles can generate multiple distinct behaviors. Nonetheless, individual muscle cells are generally regarded as the smallest units of motor control. We report that muscle cells can alter behavior by contracting subcellularly. We previously discovered that noxious tastes reverse the net flow of particles through the C. elegans pharynx, a neuromuscular pump, resulting in spitting. We now show that spitting results from the subcellular contraction of the anterior region of the pm3 muscle cell. Subcellularly localized calcium increases accompany this contraction. Spitting is controlled by an ‘hourglass’ circuit motif: parallel neural pathways converge onto a single motor neuron that differentially controls multiple muscles and the critical subcellular muscle compartment. We conclude that subcellular muscle units enable modulatory motor control and propose that subcellular muscle contraction is a fundamental mechanism by which neurons can reshape behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven R Sando
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Nikhil Bhatla
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States.,Miller Institute, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Eugene Lq Lee
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - H Robert Horvitz
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
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44
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Small flexible automated system for monitoring Caenorhabditis elegans lifespan based on active vision and image processing techniques. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12289. [PMID: 34112931 PMCID: PMC8192789 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91898-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Traditionally Caenorhabditis elegans lifespan assays are performed by manually inspecting nematodes with a dissection microscope, which involves daily counting of live/dead worms cultured in Petri plates for 21–25 days. This manual inspection requires the screening of hundreds of worms to ensure statistical robustness, and is therefore a time-consuming approach. In recent years, various automated artificial vision systems have been reported to increase the throughput, however they usually provide less accurate results than manual assays. The main problems identified when using these vision systems are the false positives and false negatives, which occur due to culture media changes, occluded zones, dirtiness or condensation of the Petri plates. In this work, we developed and described a new C. elegans monitoring machine, SiViS, which consists of a flexible and compact platform design to analyse C. elegans cultures using the standard Petri plates seeded with E. coli. Our system uses an active vision illumination technique and different image-processing pipelines for motion detection, both previously reported, providing a fully automated image processing pipeline. In addition, this study validated both these methods and the feasibility of the SiViS machine for lifespan experiments by comparing them with manual lifespan assays. Results demonstrated that the automated system yields consistent replicates (p-value log rank test 0.699), and there are no significant differences between automated system assays and traditionally manual assays (p-value 0.637). Finally, although we have focused on the use of SiViS in longevity assays, the system configuration is flexible and can, thus, be adapted to other C. elegans studies such as toxicity, mobility and behaviour.
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45
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Synapsin Is Required for Dense Core Vesicle Capture and cAMP-Dependent Neuropeptide Release. J Neurosci 2021; 41:4187-4201. [PMID: 33820857 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2631-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Release of neuropeptides from dense core vesicles (DCVs) is essential for neuromodulation. Compared with the release of small neurotransmitters, much less is known about the mechanisms and proteins contributing to neuropeptide release. By optogenetics, behavioral analysis, electrophysiology, electron microscopy, and live imaging, we show that synapsin SNN-1 is required for cAMP-dependent neuropeptide release in Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodite cholinergic motor neurons. In synapsin mutants, behaviors induced by the photoactivated adenylyl cyclase bPAC, which we previously showed to depend on ACh and neuropeptides (Steuer Costa et al., 2017), are altered as in animals with reduced cAMP. Synapsin mutants have slight alterations in synaptic vesicle (SV) distribution; however, a defect in SV mobilization was apparent after channelrhodopsin-based photostimulation. DCVs were largely affected in snn-1 mutants: DCVs were ∼30% reduced in synaptic terminals, and their contents not released following bPAC stimulation. Imaging axonal DCV trafficking, also in genome-engineered mutants in the serine-9 protein kinase A phosphorylation site, showed that synapsin captures DCVs at synapses, making them available for release. SNN-1 colocalized with immobile, captured DCVs. In synapsin deletion mutants, DCVs were more mobile and less likely to be caught at release sites, and in nonphosphorylatable SNN-1B(S9A) mutants, DCVs traffic less and accumulate, likely by enhanced SNN-1 dependent tethering. Our work establishes synapsin as a key mediator of neuropeptide release.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Little is known about mechanisms that regulate how neuropeptide-containing dense core vesicles (DCVs) traffic along the axon, how neuropeptide release is orchestrated, and where it occurs. We found that one of the longest known synaptic proteins, required for the regulation of synaptic vesicles and their storage in nerve terminals, synapsin, is also essential for neuropeptide release. By electrophysiology, imaging, and electron microscopy in Caenorhabditis elegans, we show that synapsin regulates this process by tethering the DCVs to the cytoskeleton in axonal regions where neuropeptides are to be released. Without synapsin, DCVs cannot be captured at the release sites and, consequently, cannot fuse with the membrane, and neuropeptides are not released. We suggest that synapsin fulfills this role also in vertebrates, including humans.
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46
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Discovery of a body-wide photosensory array that matures in an adult-like animal and mediates eye-brain-independent movement and arousal. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2021426118. [PMID: 33941643 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2021426118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to respond to light has profoundly shaped life. Animals with eyes overwhelmingly rely on their visual circuits for mediating light-induced coordinated movements. Building on previously reported behaviors, we report the discovery of an organized, eye-independent (extraocular), body-wide photosensory framework that allows even a head-removed animal to move like an intact animal. Despite possessing sensitive cerebral eyes and a centralized brain that controls most behaviors, head-removed planarians show acute, coordinated ultraviolet-A (UV-A) aversive phototaxis. We find this eye-brain-independent phototaxis is mediated by two noncanonical rhabdomeric opsins, the first known function for this newly classified opsin-clade. We uncover a unique array of dual-opsin-expressing photoreceptor cells that line the periphery of animal body, are proximal to a body-wide nerve net, and mediate UV-A phototaxis by engaging multiple modes of locomotion. Unlike embryonically developing cerebral eyes that are functional when animals hatch, the body-wide photosensory array matures postembryonically in "adult-like animals." Notably, apart from head-removed phototaxis, the body-wide, extraocular sensory organization also impacts physiology of intact animals. Low-dose UV-A, but not visible light (ocular-stimulus), is able to arouse intact worms that have naturally cycled to an inactive/rest-like state. This wavelength selective, low-light arousal of resting animals is noncanonical-opsin dependent but eye independent. Our discovery of an autonomous, multifunctional, late-maturing, organized body-wide photosensory system establishes a paradigm in sensory biology and evolution of light sensing.
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47
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McDermott‐Rouse A, Minga E, Barlow I, Feriani L, Harlow PH, Flemming AJ, Brown AEX. Behavioral fingerprints predict insecticide and anthelmintic mode of action. Mol Syst Biol 2021; 17:e10267. [PMID: 34031985 PMCID: PMC8144879 DOI: 10.15252/msb.202110267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Novel invertebrate-killing compounds are required in agriculture and medicine to overcome resistance to existing treatments. Because insecticides and anthelmintics are discovered in phenotypic screens, a crucial step in the discovery process is determining the mode of action of hits. Visible whole-organism symptoms are combined with molecular and physiological data to determine mode of action. However, manual symptomology is laborious and requires symptoms that are strong enough to see by eye. Here, we use high-throughput imaging and quantitative phenotyping to measure Caenorhabditis elegans behavioral responses to compounds and train a classifier that predicts mode of action with an accuracy of 88% for a set of ten common modes of action. We also classify compounds within each mode of action to discover substructure that is not captured in broad mode-of-action labels. High-throughput imaging and automated phenotyping could therefore accelerate mode-of-action discovery in invertebrate-targeting compound development and help to refine mode-of-action categories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam McDermott‐Rouse
- MRC London Institute of Medical SciencesLondonUK
- Faculty of MedicineInstitute of Clinical SciencesImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - Eleni Minga
- MRC London Institute of Medical SciencesLondonUK
- Faculty of MedicineInstitute of Clinical SciencesImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - Ida Barlow
- MRC London Institute of Medical SciencesLondonUK
- Faculty of MedicineInstitute of Clinical SciencesImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - Luigi Feriani
- MRC London Institute of Medical SciencesLondonUK
- Faculty of MedicineInstitute of Clinical SciencesImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | | | | | - André E X Brown
- MRC London Institute of Medical SciencesLondonUK
- Faculty of MedicineInstitute of Clinical SciencesImperial College LondonLondonUK
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48
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Henß T, Nagpal J, Gao S, Scheib U, Pieragnolo A, Hirschhäuser A, Schneider-Warme F, Hegemann P, Nagel G, Gottschalk A. Optogenetic tools for manipulation of cyclic nucleotides functionally coupled to cyclic nucleotide-gated channels. Br J Pharmacol 2021; 179:2519-2537. [PMID: 33733470 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The cyclic nucleotides cAMP and cGMP are ubiquitous second messengers regulating numerous biological processes. Malfunctional cNMP signalling is linked to diseases and thus is an important target in pharmaceutical research. The existing optogenetic toolbox in Caenorhabditis elegans is restricted to soluble adenylyl cyclases, the membrane-bound Blastocladiella emersonii CyclOp and hyperpolarizing rhodopsins; yet missing are membrane-bound photoactivatable adenylyl cyclases and hyperpolarizers based on K+ currents. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH For the characterization of photoactivatable nucleotidyl cyclases, we expressed the proteins alone or in combination with cyclic nucleotide-gated channels in muscle cells and cholinergic motor neurons. To investigate the extent of optogenetic cNMP production and the ability of the systems to depolarize or hyperpolarize cells, we performed behavioural analyses, measured cNMP content in vitro, and compared in vivo expression levels. KEY RESULTS We implemented Catenaria CyclOp as a new tool for cGMP production, allowing fine-control of cGMP levels. We established photoactivatable membrane-bound adenylyl cyclases, based on mutated versions ("A-2x") of Blastocladiella and Catenaria ("Be," "Ca") CyclOp, as N-terminal YFP fusions, enabling more efficient and specific cAMP signalling compared to soluble bPAC, despite lower overall cAMP production. For hyperpolarization of excitable cells by two-component optogenetics, we introduced the cAMP-gated K+ -channel SthK from Spirochaeta thermophila and combined it with bPAC, BeCyclOp(A-2x), or YFP-BeCyclOp(A-2x). As an alternative, we implemented the B. emersonii cGMP-gated K+ -channel BeCNG1 together with BeCyclOp. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS We established a comprehensive suite of optogenetic tools for cNMP manipulation, applicable in many cell types, including sensory neurons, and for potent hyperpolarization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thilo Henß
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.,Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jatin Nagpal
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.,Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.,APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Shiqiang Gao
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, Biocentre, Julius-Maximilians-University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ulrike Scheib
- Institute for Biology, Experimental Biophysics, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Lead Discovery, Protein Technology, NUVISAN ICB GmbH, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Alexander Hirschhäuser
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.,Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.,Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Department of Molecular Cell Physiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Franziska Schneider-Warme
- University Heart Center, Medical Center - University of Freiburg and Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Peter Hegemann
- Institute for Biology, Experimental Biophysics, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Georg Nagel
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, Biocentre, Julius-Maximilians-University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Alexander Gottschalk
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.,Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
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49
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Neal LA, Vosshall LB. Eyeless worms detect color. Science 2021; 371:995. [PMID: 33674482 DOI: 10.1126/science.abg5201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A Neal
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Leslie B Vosshall
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY, USA.,Kavli Neural Systems Institute, New York, NY, USA
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50
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Ghosh DD, Lee D, Jin X, Horvitz HR, Nitabach MN. C. elegans discriminates colors to guide foraging. Science 2021; 371:1059-1063. [PMID: 33674494 PMCID: PMC8554940 DOI: 10.1126/science.abd3010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Color detection is used by animals of diverse phyla to navigate colorful natural environments and is thought to require evolutionarily conserved opsin photoreceptor genes. We report that Caenorhabditis elegans roundworms can discriminate between colors despite the fact that they lack eyes and opsins. Specifically, we found that white light guides C. elegans foraging decisions away from a blue-pigment toxin secreted by harmful bacteria. These foraging decisions are guided by specific blue-to-amber ratios of light. The color specificity of color-dependent foraging varies notably among wild C. elegans strains, which indicates that color discrimination is ecologically important. We identified two evolutionarily conserved cellular stress response genes required for opsin-independent, color-dependent foraging by C. elegans, and we speculate that cellular stress response pathways can mediate spectral discrimination by photosensitive cells and organisms-even by those lacking opsins.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Dipon Ghosh
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Dongyeop Lee
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Xin Jin
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - H Robert Horvitz
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Michael N Nitabach
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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