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Levichev A, Faumont S, Berner RZ, Purcell Z, White AM, Chicas-Cruz K, Lockery SR. The conserved endocannabinoid anandamide modulates olfactory sensitivity to induce hedonic feeding in C. elegans. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1625-1639.e4. [PMID: 37084730 PMCID: PMC10175219 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.03.013] [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: 01/22/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
The ability of cannabis to increase food consumption has been known for centuries. In addition to producing hyperphagia, cannabinoids can amplify existing preferences for calorically dense, palatable food sources, a phenomenon called hedonic amplification of feeding. These effects result from the action of plant-derived cannabinoids that mimic endogenous ligands called endocannabinoids. The high degree of conservation of cannabinoid signaling at the molecular level across the animal kingdom suggests hedonic feeding may also be widely conserved. Here, we show that exposure of Caenorhabditis elegans to anandamide, an endocannabinoid common to nematodes and mammals, shifts both appetitive and consummatory responses toward nutritionally superior food, an effect analogous to hedonic feeding. We find that anandamide's effect on feeding requires the C. elegans cannabinoid receptor NPR-19 but can also be mediated by the human CB1 cannabinoid receptor, indicating functional conservation between the nematode and mammalian endocannabinoid systems for the regulation of food preferences. Furthermore, anandamide has reciprocal effects on appetitive and consummatory responses to food, increasing and decreasing responses to inferior and superior foods, respectively. Anandamide's behavioral effects require the AWC chemosensory neurons, and anandamide renders these neurons more sensitive to superior foods and less sensitive to inferior foods, mirroring the reciprocal effects seen at the behavioral level. Our findings reveal a surprising degree of functional conservation in the effects of endocannabinoids on hedonic feeding across species and establish a new system to investigate the cellular and molecular basis of endocannabinoid system function in the regulation of food choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Levichev
- University of Oregon, Institute of Neuroscience, 1245 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Serge Faumont
- University of Oregon, Institute of Neuroscience, 1245 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Rachel Z Berner
- University of Oregon, Institute of Neuroscience, 1245 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Zhifeng Purcell
- University of Oregon, Institute of Neuroscience, 1245 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Amanda M White
- University of Oregon, Institute of Neuroscience, 1245 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Kathy Chicas-Cruz
- University of Oregon, Institute of Neuroscience, 1245 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Shawn R Lockery
- University of Oregon, Institute of Neuroscience, 1245 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
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2
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Estrada-Valencia R, de Lima ME, Colonnello A, Rangel-López E, Saraiva NR, de Ávila DS, Aschner M, Santamaría A. The Endocannabinoid System in Caenorhabditis elegans. Rev Physiol Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 184:1-31. [PMID: 34401955 PMCID: PMC8850531 DOI: 10.1007/112_2021_64] [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: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The existence of a formal Endocannabinoid System in C. elegans has been questioned due to data showing the absence of typical cannabinoid receptors in the worm; however, the presence of a full metabolism for endocannabinoids, alternative ligands, and receptors for these agents and a considerable number of orthologous and homologous genes regulating physiological cannabinoid-like signals and responses - several of which are similar to those of mammals - demonstrates a well-structured and functional complex system in nematodes. In this review, we describe and compare similarities and differences between the Endocannabinoid System in mammals and nematodes, highlighting the basis for the integral study of this novel system in the worm.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - María Eduarda de Lima
- Laboratorio de Aminoácidos Excitadores, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Aline Colonnello
- Laboratorio de Aminoácidos Excitadores, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Edgar Rangel-López
- Laboratorio de Aminoácidos Excitadores, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Nariani Rocha Saraiva
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Toxicologia em Caenorhabditis elegans, UNIPAMPA, Uruguaiana, Brazil
| | - Daiana Silva de Ávila
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Toxicologia em Caenorhabditis elegans, UNIPAMPA, Uruguaiana, Brazil
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Abel Santamaría
- Laboratorio de Aminoácidos Excitadores, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Mexico City, Mexico.
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Hernandez-Cravero B, Gallino S, Florman J, Vranych C, Diaz P, Elgoyhen AB, Alkema MJ, de Mendoza D. Cannabinoids activate the insulin pathway to modulate mobilization of cholesterol in C. elegans. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010346. [PMID: 36346800 PMCID: PMC9674138 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans requires exogenous cholesterol to survive and its depletion leads to early developmental arrest. Thus, tight regulation of cholesterol storage and distribution within the organism is critical. Previously, we demonstrated that the endocannabinoid (eCB) 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) plays a key role in C. elegans since it modulates sterol mobilization. However, the mechanism remains unknown. Here we show that mutations in the ocr-2 and osm-9 genes, coding for transient receptors potential V (TRPV) ion channels, dramatically reduce the effect of 2-AG in cholesterol mobilization. Through genetic analysis in combination with the rescue of larval arrest induced by sterol starvation, we found that the insulin/IGF-1signaling (IIS) pathway and UNC-31/CAPS, a calcium-activated regulator of neural dense-core vesicles release, are essential for 2-AG-mediated stimulation of cholesterol mobilization. These findings indicate that 2-AG-dependent cholesterol trafficking requires the release of insulin peptides and signaling through the DAF-2 insulin receptor. These results suggest that 2-AG acts as an endogenous modulator of TRPV signal transduction to control intracellular sterol trafficking through modulation of the IGF-1 signaling pathway
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Hernandez-Cravero
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Microbiana, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Sofia Gallino
- Laboratorio de Fisiología y Genética de la Audición, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres" (INGEBI), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jeremy Florman
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Cecilia Vranych
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Microbiana, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Philippe Diaz
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Ana Belén Elgoyhen
- Laboratorio de Fisiología y Genética de la Audición, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres" (INGEBI), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mark J. Alkema
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Diego de Mendoza
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Microbiana, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
- * E-mail:
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Rashid S, Pho KB, Mesbahi H, MacNeil LT. Nutrient Sensing and Response Drive Developmental Progression in Caenorhabditis elegans. Bioessays 2020; 42:e1900194. [PMID: 32003906 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201900194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 12/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
In response to nutrient limitation, many animals, including Caenorhabditis elegans, slow or arrest their development. This process requires mechanisms that sense essential nutrients and induce appropriate responses. When faced with nutrient limitation, C. elegans can induce both short and long-term survival strategies, including larval arrest, decreased developmental rate, and dauer formation. To select the most advantageous strategy, information from many different sensors must be integrated into signaling pathways, including target of rapamycin (TOR) and insulin, that regulate developmental progression. Here, how nutrient information is sensed and integrated into developmental decisions that determine developmental rate and progression in C. elegans is reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabih Rashid
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, L8S 4K1, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kim B Pho
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, L8S 4K1, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hiva Mesbahi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, L8S 4K1, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lesley T MacNeil
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, L8S 4K1, Ontario, Canada.,Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, L8S 4K1, Ontario, Canada.,Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, L8S 4K1, Ontario, Canada
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Paulsen RT, Burrell BD. Comparative studies of endocannabinoid modulation of pain. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20190279. [PMID: 31544609 PMCID: PMC6790382 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Cannabinoid-based therapies have long been used to treat pain, but there remain questions about their actual mechanisms and efficacy. From an evolutionary perspective, the cannabinoid system would appear to be highly conserved given that the most prevalent endogenous cannabinoid (endocannabinoid) transmitters, 2-arachidonyl glycerol and anandamide, have been found throughout the animal kingdom, at least in the species that have been analysed to date. This review will first examine recent findings regarding the potential conservation across invertebrates and chordates of the enzymes responsible for endocannabinoid synthesis and degradation and the receptors that these transmitters act on. Next, comparisons of how endocannabinoids modulate nociception will be examined for commonalities between vertebrates and invertebrates, with a focus on the medicinal leech Hirudo verbana. Evidence is presented that there are distinct, evolutionarily conserved anti-nociceptive and pro-nociceptive effects. The combined studies across various animal phyla demonstrate the utility of using comparative approaches to understand conserved mechanisms for modulating nociception. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Evolution of mechanisms and behaviour important for pain'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brian D. Burrell
- Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience, Nanotechnology, and Networks Program, Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
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Cannabinoids Stimulate the TRP Channel-Dependent Release of Both Serotonin and Dopamine to Modulate Behavior in C. elegans. J Neurosci 2019; 39:4142-4152. [PMID: 30886012 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2371-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cannabis sativa alters sensory perception and exhibits potential medicinal benefits. In mammals, cannabinoids activate two canonical receptors, CB1/CB2, as well additional receptors/ion channels whose overall contributions to cannabinoid signaling have yet to be fully assessed. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the endogenous cannabinoid receptor agonist, 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) activates a CB1 ortholog, NPR-19, to modulate behavior (Oakes et al., 2017). In addition, 2-AG stimulates the NPR-19 independent release of both serotonin (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) from subsets of monoaminergic neurons to modulate locomotory behaviors through a complex monoaminergic signaling pathway involving multiple serotonin and dopamine receptors. 2-AG also inhibits locomotion in remodeled monoamine receptor mutant animals designed to measure the acute release of either 5-HT or DA, confirming the direct effects of 2-AG on monoamine release. 2-AG-dependent locomotory inhibition requires the expression of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) and TRPN-like channels in the serotonergic or dopaminergic neurons, respectively, and the acute pharmacological inhibition of the TRPV1-like channel abolishes both 2-AG-dependent 5-HT release and locomotory inhibition, suggesting the 2-AG may activate the channel directly. This study highlights the advantages of identifying and assessing both CB1/CB2-dependent and independent cannabinoid signaling pathways in a genetically tractable, mammalian predictive model, where cannabinoid signaling at the molecular/neuronal levels can be correlated directly with changes in behavior.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This study is focused on assessing CB1/CB2-independent cannabinoid signaling in a genetically tractable, whole-animal model where cannabinoid signaling at the molecular/neuronal levels can be correlated with behavioral change. Caenorhabditis elegans contains a cannabinoid signaling system mediated by a canonical cannabinoid receptor, NPR-19, with orthology to human CB1/CB2 (Oakes et al., 2017). The present study has characterized an NPR-19-independent signaling pathway that involves the cannabinoid-dependent release of both serotonin and dopamine and the expression of distinct TRP-like channels on the monoaminergic neurons. Our work should be of interest to those studying the complexities of CB1/CB2-independent cannabinoid signaling, the role of TRP channels in the modulation of monoaminergic signaling, and the cannabinoid-dependent modulation of behavior.
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Host- and Helminth-Derived Endocannabinoids That Have Effects on Host Immunity Are Generated during Infection. Infect Immun 2018; 86:IAI.00441-18. [PMID: 30104215 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00441-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Helminths have coevolved with their hosts, resulting in the development of specialized host immune mechanisms and parasite-specific regulatory products. Identification of new pathways that regulate helminth infection could provide a better understanding of host-helminth interaction and may identify new therapeutic targets for helminth infection. Here we identify the endocannabinoid system as a new mechanism that influences host immunity to helminths. Endocannabinoids are lipid-derived signaling molecules that control important physiologic processes, such as feeding behavior and metabolism. Following murine infection with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, an intestinal nematode with a life cycle similar to that of hookworms, we observed increased levels of endocannabinoids (2-arachidonoylglycerol [2-AG] or anandamide [AEA]) and the endocannabinoid-like molecule oleoylethanolamine (OEA) in infected lung and intestine. To investigate endocannabinoid function in helminth infection, we employed pharmacological inhibitors of cannabinoid subtype receptors 1 and 2 (CB1R and CB2R). Compared to findings for vehicle-treated mice, inhibition of CB1R but not CB2R resulted in increased N. brasiliensis worm burden and egg output, associated with significantly decreased expression of the T helper type 2 cytokine interleukin 5 (IL-5) in intestinal tissue and splenocyte cultures. Strikingly, bioinformatic analysis of genomic and transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) data sets identified putative genes encoding endocannabinoid biosynthetic and degradative enzymes in many parasitic nematodes. To test the novel hypothesis that helminth parasites produce their own endocannabinoids, we measured endocannabinoid levels in N. brasiliensis by mass spectrometry and quantitative PCR and found that N. brasiliensis parasites produced endocannabinoids, especially at the infectious larval stage. To our knowledge, this is the first report of helminth- and host-derived endocannabinoids that promote host immune responses and reduce parasite burden.
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