Presynaptic UNC-31 (CAPS) is required to activate the G alpha(s) pathway of the Caenorhabditis elegans synaptic signaling network

Temperature-dependent lifespan extension is achieved in miR-80-deleted Caenorhabditis elegans by NLP-45 to modulate endoplasmic reticulum unfolded protein responses

MicroRNA plays a crucial role in post-transcriptional gene regulation and has recently emerged as a factor linked to aging, but the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain incompletely understood. In this study, we observed lifespan-extending effects in miR-80-deficient Caenorhabditis elegans at 20°C but not 25°C. At 20°C, miR-80 deletion leads to NLP-45 upregulation, which positively correlates to increased abu transcripts and extended lifespan. Supportively, we identified miR-80 binding regions in the 5' and 3' UTR of nlp-45. As the temperature rises to 25°C, wildtype increases miR-80 levels, but removal of miR-80 is accompanied by decreased nlp-45 expression, suggesting intervention from other temperature-sensitive mechanisms. These findings support the concept that microRNAs and neuropeptide-like proteins can form molecular regulatory networks involving downstream molecules to regulate lifespan, and such regulatory effects vary on environmental conditions. This study unveils the role of an axis of miR-80/NLP-45/UPRER components in regulating longevity, offering new insights on strategies of aging attenuation and health span prolongation.

Cell non-autonomous signaling through the conserved C. elegans glycopeptide hormone receptor FSHR-1 regulates cholinergic neurotransmission

Modulation of neurotransmission is key for organismal responses to varying physiological contexts such as during infection, injury, or other stresses, as well as in learning and memory and for sensory adaptation. Roles for cell autonomous neuromodulatory mechanisms in these processes have been well described. The importance of cell non-autonomous pathways for inter-tissue signaling, such as gut-to-brain or glia-to-neuron, has emerged more recently, but the cellular mechanisms mediating such regulation remain comparatively unexplored. Glycoproteins and their G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are well-established orchestrators of multi-tissue signaling events that govern diverse physiological processes through both cell-autonomous and cell non-autonomous regulation. Here, we show that follicle stimulating hormone receptor, FSHR-1, the sole Caenorhabditis elegans ortholog of mammalian glycoprotein hormone GPCRs, is important for cell non-autonomous modulation of synaptic transmission. Inhibition of fshr-1 expression reduces muscle contraction and leads to synaptic vesicle accumulation in cholinergic motor neurons. The neuromuscular and locomotor defects in fshr-1 loss-of-function mutants are associated with an underlying accumulation of synaptic vesicles, build-up of the synaptic vesicle priming factor UNC-10/RIM, and decreased synaptic vesicle release from cholinergic motor neurons. Restoration of FSHR-1 to the intestine is sufficient to restore neuromuscular activity and synaptic vesicle localization to fshr-1- deficient animals. Intestine-specific knockdown of FSHR-1 reduces neuromuscular function, indicating FSHR-1 is both necessary and sufficient in the intestine for its neuromuscular effects. Re-expression of FSHR-1 in other sites of endogenous expression, including glial cells and neurons, also restored some neuromuscular deficits, indicating potential cross-tissue regulation from these tissues as well. Genetic interaction studies provide evidence that downstream effectors gsa-1 / Gα S , acy-1 /adenylyl cyclase and sphk-1/ sphingosine kinase and glycoprotein hormone subunit orthologs, GPLA-1/GPA2 and GPLB-1/GPB5, are important for FSHR-1 modulation of the NMJ. Together, our results demonstrate that FSHR-1 modulation directs inter-tissue signaling systems, which promote synaptic vesicle release at neuromuscular synapses.

Double mutation of open syntaxin and UNC-18 P334A leads to excitatory-inhibitory imbalance and impairs multiple aspects of C. elegans behavior

SNARE and Sec/Munc18 proteins are essential in synaptic vesicle exocytosis. Open form t-SNARE syntaxin and UNC-18 P334A are well-studied exocytosis-enhancing mutants. Here we investigate the interrelationship between the two mutations by generating double mutants in various genetic backgrounds in C. elegans. While each single mutation rescued the motility of CAPS/unc-31 and synaptotagmin/snt-1 mutants significantly, double mutations unexpectedly worsened motility or lost their rescuing effects. Electrophysiological analyses revealed that simultaneous mutations of open syntaxin and gain-of-function P334A UNC-18 induces a strong imbalance of excitatory over inhibitory transmission. In liposome fusion assays performed with mammalian proteins, the enhancement of fusion caused by the two mutations individually was abolished when the two mutations were introduced simultaneously, consistent with what we observed in C. elegans. We conclude that open syntaxin and P334A UNC-18 do not have additive beneficial effects, and this extends to C. elegans' characteristics such as motility, growth, offspring bared, body size, and exocytosis, as well as liposome fusion in vitro. Our results also reveal unexpected differences between the regulation of exocytosis in excitatory versus inhibitory synapses.

Glial-derived mitochondrial signals affect neuronal proteostasis and aging

The nervous system plays a critical role in maintaining whole-organism homeostasis; neurons experiencing mitochondrial stress can coordinate the induction of protective cellular pathways, such as the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRMT), between tissues. However, these studies largely ignored nonneuronal cells of the nervous system. Here, we found that UPRMT activation in four astrocyte-like glial cells in the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, can promote protein homeostasis by alleviating protein aggregation in neurons. Unexpectedly, we find that glial cells use small clear vesicles (SCVs) to signal to neurons, which then relay the signal to the periphery using dense-core vesicles (DCVs). This work underlines the importance of glia in establishing and regulating protein homeostasis within the nervous system, which can then affect neuron-mediated effects in organismal homeostasis and longevity.

Glial-derived mitochondrial signals impact neuronal proteostasis and aging

The nervous system plays a critical role in maintaining whole-organism homeostasis; neurons experiencing mitochondrial stress can coordinate the induction of protective cellular pathways, such as the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRMT), between tissues. However, these studies largely ignored non-neuronal cells of the nervous system. Here, we found that UPRMT activation in four, astrocyte-like glial cells in the nematode, C. elegans, can promote protein homeostasis by alleviating protein aggregation in neurons. Surprisingly, we find that glial cells utilize small clear vesicles (SCVs) to signal to neurons, which then relay the signal to the periphery using dense-core vesicles (DCVs). This work underlines the importance of glia in establishing and regulating protein homeostasis within the nervous system, which can then impact neuron-mediated effects in organismal homeostasis and longevity.

Inhibition of ribosome biogenesis in the epidermis is sufficient to trigger organism-wide growth quiescence independently of nutritional status in C. elegans

Interorgan communication is crucial for multicellular organismal growth, development, and homeostasis. Cell nonautonomous inhibitory cues, which limit tissue-specific growth alterations, are not well characterized due to cell ablation approach limitations. In this study, we employed the auxin-inducible degradation system in C. elegans to temporally and spatially modulate ribosome biogenesis, through depletion of essential factors (RPOA-2, GRWD-1, or TSR-2). Our findings reveal that embryo-wide inhibition of ribosome biogenesis induces a reversible early larval growth quiescence, distinguished by a unique gene expression signature that is different from starvation or dauer stages. When ribosome biogenesis is inhibited in volumetrically similar tissues, including body wall muscle, epidermis, pharynx, intestine, or germ line, it results in proportionally stunted growth across the organism to different degrees. We show that specifically inhibiting ribosome biogenesis in the epidermis is sufficient to trigger an organism-wide growth quiescence. Epidermis-specific ribosome depletion leads to larval growth quiescence at the L3 stage, reduces organism-wide protein synthesis, and induced cell nonautonomous gene expression alterations. Further molecular analysis reveals overexpression of secreted proteins, suggesting an organism-wide regulatory mechanism. We find that UNC-31, a dense-core vesicle (DCV) pathway component, plays a significant role in epidermal ribosome biogenesis-mediated growth quiescence. Our tissue-specific knockdown experiments reveal that the organism-wide growth quiescence induced by epidermal-specific ribosome biogenesis inhibition is suppressed by reducing unc-31 expression in the epidermis, but not in neurons or body wall muscles. Similarly, IDA-1, a membrane-associated protein of the DCV, is overexpressed, and its knockdown in epidermis suppresses the organism-wide growth quiescence in response to epidermal ribosome biogenesis inhibition. Finally, we observe an overall increase in DCV puncta labeled by IDA-1 when epidermal ribosome biogenesis is inhibited, and these puncta are present in or near epidermal cells. In conclusion, these findings suggest a novel mechanism of nutrition-independent multicellular growth coordination initiated from the epidermis tissue upon ribosome biogenesis inhibition.

Auxin-Inducible Degron System Reveals Temporal-Spatial Roles of HSF-1 and Its Transcriptional Program in Lifespan Assurance

HSF-1 is a key regulator of cellular proteotoxic stress response and is required for animal lifespan. In C. elegans, HSF-1 mediated heat shock response (HSR) declines sharply on the first day of adulthood, and HSF-1 was proposed to function primarily during larval stages for lifespan assurance based on studies using RNAi. The tissue requirement for HSF-1 in lifespan, however, is not well understood. Using the auxin-inducible degron (AID) system, we manage to uncouple the roles of HSF-1 in development and longevity. In wild-type animals, we find HSF-1 is required during the whole self-reproductive period for lifespan. This period is extended in long-lived animals that have arrested germline stem cells (GSC) or reduced insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS). While depletion of HSF-1 from any major somatic tissues during development results in severe defects, HSF-1 primarily functions in the intestine and likely neural system of adults to support lifespan. Finally, by combining AID and genome-wide transcriptional analyses, we find HSF-1 directly activates the transcription of constitutively-expressed chaperone and co-chaperone genes among others in early adulthood, which underlies its roles in longevity assurance.

Caenorhabditis elegans provides an efficient drug screening platform for GNAO1-related disorders and highlights the potential role of caffeine in controlling dyskinesia

Dominant GNAO1 mutations cause an emerging group of childhood-onset neurological disorders characterized by developmental delay, intellectual disability, movement disorders, drug-resistant seizures and neurological deterioration. GNAO1 encodes the α-subunit of an inhibitory GTP/GDP-binding protein regulating ion channel activity and neurotransmitter release. The pathogenic mechanisms underlying GNAO1-related disorders remain largely elusive and there are no effective therapies. Here, we assessed the functional impact of two disease-causing variants associated with distinct clinical features, c.139A > G (p.S47G) and c.662C > A (p.A221D), using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism. The c.139A > G change was introduced into the orthologous position of the C. elegans gene via CRISPR/Cas9, whereas a knock-in strain carrying the p.A221D variant was already available. Like null mutants, homozygous knock-in animals showed increased egg laying and were hypersensitive to aldicarb, an inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase, suggesting excessive neurotransmitter release by different classes of motor neurons. Automated analysis of C. elegans locomotion indicated that goa-1 mutants move faster than control animals, with more frequent body bends and a higher reversal rate and display uncoordinated locomotion. Phenotypic profiling of heterozygous animals revealed a strong hypomorphic effect of both variants, with a partial dominant-negative activity for the p.A221D allele. Finally, caffeine was shown to rescue aberrant motor function in C. elegans harboring the goa-1 variants; this effect is mainly exerted through adenosine receptor antagonism. Overall, our findings establish a suitable platform for drug discovery, which may assist in accelerating the development of new therapies for this devastating condition, and highlight the potential role of caffeine in controlling GNAO1-related dyskinesia.

Insulin/IGF-1 signaling and heat stress differentially regulate HSF1 activities in germline development

Germline development is sensitive to nutrient availability and environmental perturbation. Heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1), a key transcription factor driving the cellular heat shock response (HSR), is also involved in gametogenesis. The precise function of HSF1 (HSF-1 in C. elegans) and its regulation in germline development are poorly understood. Using the auxin-inducible degron system in C. elegans, we uncovered a role of HSF-1 in progenitor cell proliferation and early meiosis and identified a compact but important transcriptional program of HSF-1 in germline development. Interestingly, heat stress only induces the canonical HSR in a subset of germ cells but impairs HSF-1 binding at its developmental targets. Conversely, insulin/insulin growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling dictates the requirement for HSF-1 in germline development and functions through repressing FOXO/DAF-16 in the soma to activate HSF-1 in germ cells. We propose that this non-cell-autonomous mechanism couples nutrient-sensing insulin/IGF-1 signaling to HSF-1 activation to support homeostasis in rapid germline growth.

Presynaptic Gαo (GOA-1) signals to depress command neuron excitability and allow stretch-dependent modulation of egg laying in Caenorhabditis elegans

Egg laying in the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans is a two-state behavior modulated by internal and external sensory input. We have previously shown that homeostatic feedback of embryo accumulation in the uterus regulates bursting activity of the serotonergic HSN command neurons that sustains the egg-laying active state. How sensory feedback of egg release signals to terminate the egg-laying active state is less understood. We find that Gαo, a conserved Pertussis Toxin-sensitive G protein, signals within HSN to inhibit egg-laying circuit activity and prevent entry into the active state. Gαo signaling hyperpolarizes HSN, reducing HSN Ca2+ activity and input onto the postsynaptic vulval muscles. Loss of inhibitory Gαo signaling uncouples presynaptic HSN activity from a postsynaptic, stretch-dependent homeostat, causing precocious entry into the egg-laying active state when only a few eggs are present in the uterus. Feedback of vulval opening and egg release activates the uv1 neuroendocrine cells which release NLP-7 neuropeptides which signal to inhibit egg laying through Gαo-independent mechanisms in the HSNs and Gαo-dependent mechanisms in cells other than the HSNs. Thus, neuropeptide and inhibitory Gαo signaling maintains a bi-stable state of electrical excitability that dynamically controls circuit activity in response to both external and internal sensory input to drive a two-state behavior output.

Synapsin Is Required for Dense Core Vesicle Capture and cAMP-Dependent Neuropeptide Release

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.

Maturing secretory granules: Where secretory and endocytic pathways converge

Secretory granules (SGs) are specialized organelles responsible for the storage and regulated release of various biologically active molecules from the endocrine and exocrine systems. Thus, proper SG biogenesis is critical to normal animal physiology. Biogenesis of SGs starts at the trans-Golgi network (TGN), where immature SGs (iSGs) bud off and undergo maturation before fusing with the plasma membrane (PM). How iSGs mature is unclear, but emerging studies have suggested an important role for the endocytic pathway. The requirement for endocytic machinery in SG maturation blurs the line between SGs and another class of secretory organelles called lysosome-related organelles (LROs). Therefore, it is important to re-evaluate the differences and similarities between SGs and LROs.

Open syntaxin overcomes exocytosis defects of diverse mutants in C. elegans

Assembly of SNARE complexes that mediate neurotransmitter release requires opening of a ‘closed’ conformation of UNC-64/syntaxin. Rescue of unc-13/Munc13 mutant phenotypes by overexpressed open UNC-64/syntaxin suggested a specific function of UNC-13/Munc13 in opening UNC-64/ syntaxin. Here, we revisit the effects of open unc-64/syntaxin by generating knockin (KI) worms. The KI animals exhibit enhanced spontaneous and evoked exocytosis compared to WT animals. Unexpectedly, the open syntaxin KI partially suppresses exocytosis defects of various mutants, including snt-1/synaptotagmin, unc-2/P/Q/N-type Ca²⁺ channel alpha-subunit and unc-31/CAPS, in addition to unc-13/Munc13 and unc-10/RIM, and enhanced exocytosis in tom-1/Tomosyn mutants. However, open syntaxin aggravates the defects of unc-18/Munc18 mutants. Correspondingly, open syntaxin partially bypasses the requirement of Munc13 but not Munc18 for liposome fusion. Our results show that facilitating opening of syntaxin enhances exocytosis in a wide range of genetic backgrounds, and may provide a general means to enhance synaptic transmission in normal and disease states.

Opening of the UNC-64/syntaxin closed conformation by UNC-13/Munc13 to form the neuronal SNARE complex is critical for neurotransmitter release. Here the authors show that facilitating the opening of syntaxin enhances exocytosis not only in unc-13 nulls as well as in diverse C. elegans mutants.

Nested Neuronal Dynamics Orchestrate a Behavioral Hierarchy across Timescales

Classical and modern ethological studies suggest that animal behavior is organized hierarchically across timescales, such that longer-timescale behaviors are composed of specific shorter-timescale actions. Despite progress relating neuronal dynamics to single-timescale behavior, it remains unclear how different timescale dynamics interact to give rise to such higher-order behavioral organization. Here, we show, in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, that a behavioral hierarchy spanning three timescales is implemented by nested neuronal dynamics. At the uppermost hierarchical level, slow neuronal population dynamics spanning brain and motor periphery control two faster motor neuron oscillations, toggling them between different activity states and functional roles. At lower hierarchical levels, these faster oscillations are further nested in a manner that enables flexible behavioral control in an otherwise rigid hierarchical framework. Our findings establish nested neuronal activity patterns as a repeated dynamical motif of the C. elegans nervous system, which together implement a controllable hierarchical organization of behavior.

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Slow dynamics across brain and motor circuits drive upper-hierarchy motor states

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Fast dynamics in motor circuits drive lower-hierarchy movements within these states

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Slower dynamics tightly constrain the state and function of faster ones

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This rigid hierarchy nevertheless enables flexible behavioral control

Genome aware CRISPR gRNA target prediction for parasitic nematodes

The pace of research towards a genetic model to understand the unique molecular biology of parasitic nematodes has increased recently. This research has developed a diverse suite of genetic tools for a variety of parasitic nematodes. CRISPR/Cas9 technology in particular offers much promise as a game changing tool for researchers studying parasitic nematodes. Unlike RNAi, which depends on diverse nematode effectors to silence gene expression, the effectors for CRISPR/Cas9 mutations are typically supplied by the experimenter, making gene editing via CRISPR/Cas9 ideal for testing on genetically intractable nematode systems. To facilitate the development of CRISPR/Cas9 technology for parasitic nematodes, I here describe a tool for identifying gRNA targets and diagnostic primers to a user supplied sequence. The software attempts to minimize non-specific targets by interrogating the genomes of parasitic nematodes. This software is freely available online and features an intuitive interface to help researchers design effective CRISPR experiments for parasitic nematodes.

Neurotransmitter signaling through heterotrimeric G proteins: insights from studies in C. elegans

Neurotransmitters signal via G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) to modulate activity of neurons and muscles. C. elegans has ∼150 G protein coupled neuropeptide receptor homologs and 28 additional GPCRs for small-molecule neurotransmitters. Genetic studies in C. elegans demonstrate that neurotransmitters diffuse far from their release sites to activate GPCRs on distant cells. Individual receptor types are expressed on limited numbers of cells and thus can provide very specific regulation of an individual neural circuit and behavior. G protein coupled neurotransmitter receptors signal principally via the three types of heterotrimeric G proteins defined by the G alpha subunits Gαo, Gαq, and Gαs. Each of these G alpha proteins is found in all neurons plus some muscles. Gαo and Gαq signaling inhibit and activate neurotransmitter release, respectively. Gαs signaling, like Gαq signaling, promotes neurotransmitter release. Many details of the signaling mechanisms downstream of Gαq and Gαs have been delineated and are consistent with those of their mammalian orthologs. The details of the signaling mechanism downstream of Gαo remain a mystery. Forward genetic screens in C. elegans have identified new molecular components of neural G protein signaling mechanisms, including Regulators of G protein Signaling (RGS proteins) that inhibit signaling, a new Gαq effector (the Trio RhoGEF domain), and the RIC-8 protein that is required for neuronal Gα signaling. A model is presented in which G proteins sum up the variety of neuromodulator signals that impinge on a neuron to calculate its appropriate output level.

Sentryn Acts with a Subset of Active Zone Proteins To Optimize the Localization of Synaptic Vesicles in Caenorhabditis elegans

Synaptic vesicles (SVs) transmit signals by releasing neurotransmitters from specialized synaptic regions of neurons. In the synaptic region, SVs are tightly clustered around small structures called active zones. The motor KIF1A transports SVs outward through axons until they are captured in the synaptic region. This transport must be guided in the forward direction because it is opposed by the dynein motor, which causes SVs to reverse direction multiple times en route. The core synapse stability (CSS) system contributes to both guided transport and capture of SVs. We identified Sentryn as a CSS protein that contributes to the synaptic localization of SVs in Caenorhabditis elegans Like the CSS proteins SAD Kinase and SYD-2 (Liprin-α), Sentryn also prevents dynein-dependent accumulation of lysosomes in dendrites in strains lacking JIP3. Genetic analysis showed that Sentryn and SAD Kinase each have at least one nonoverlapping function for the stable accumulation of SVs at synapses that, when combined with their shared functions, enables most of the functions of SYD-2 (Liprin-α) for capturing SVs. Also like other CSS proteins, Sentryn appears enriched at active zones and contributes to active zone structure, suggesting that it is a novel, conserved active zone protein. Sentryn is recruited to active zones by a process dependent on the active zone-enriched CSS protein SYD-2 (Liprin-α). Our results define a specialized group of active zone enriched proteins that can affect motorized transport throughout the neuron and that have roles in both guided transport and capture of SVs.

Sentryn and SAD Kinase Link the Guided Transport and Capture of Dense Core Vesicles in Caenorhabditis elegans

Dense core vesicles (DCVs) can transmit signals by releasing neuropeptides from specialized synaptic regions called active zones. DCVs reach the active zone by motorized transport through a long axon. A reverse motor frequently interrupts progress by taking DCVs in the opposite direction. "Guided transport" refers to the mechanism by which outward movements ultimately dominate to bring DCVs to the synaptic region. After guided transport, DCVs alter their interactions with motors and enter a "captured" state. The mechanisms of guided transport and capture of DCVs are unknown. Here, we discovered two proteins that contribute to both processes in Caenorhabditis elegans SAD kinase and a novel conserved protein we named Sentryn are the first proteins found to promote DCV capture. By imaging DCVs moving in various regions of single identified neurons in living animals, we found that DCV guided transport and capture are linked through SAD kinase, Sentryn, and Liprin-α. These proteins act together to regulate DCV motorized transport in a region-specific manner. Between the cell body and the synaptic region, they promote forward transport. In the synaptic region, where all three proteins are highly enriched at active zones, they promote DCV pausing by inhibiting transport in both directions. These three proteins appear to be part of a special subset of active zone-enriched proteins because other active zone proteins do not share their unique functions.

Activation of RHO-1 in cholinergic motor neurons competes with dopamine signalling to control locomotion

The small GTPase RhoA plays a crucial role in the regulation of neuronal signalling to generate behaviour. In the developing nervous system RhoA is known to regulate the actin cytoskeleton, however the effectors of RhoA-signalling in adult neurons remain largely unidentified. We have previously shown that activation of the RhoA ortholog (RHO-1) in C. elegans cholinergic motor neurons triggers hyperactivity of these neurons and loopy locomotion with exaggerated body bends. This is achieved in part through increased diacylglycerol (DAG) levels and the recruitment of the synaptic vesicle protein UNC-13 to synaptic release sites, however other pathways remain to be identified. Dopamine, which is negatively regulated by the dopamine re-uptake transporter (DAT), has a central role in modulating locomotion in both humans and C. elegans. In this study we identify a new pathway in which RHO-1 regulates locomotory behaviour by repressing dopamine signalling, via DAT-1, linking these two pathways together. We observed an upregulation of dat-1 expression when RHO-1 is activated and show that loss of DAT-1 inhibits the loopy locomotion phenotype caused by RHO-1 activation. Reducing dopamine signalling in dat-1 mutants through mutations in genes involved in dopamine synthesis or in the dopamine receptor DOP-1 restores the ability of RHO-1 to trigger loopy locomotion in dat-1 mutants. Taken together, we show that negative regulation of dopamine signalling via DAT-1 is necessary for the neuronal RHO-1 pathway to regulate locomotion.

Modulation of Gq-Rho Signaling by the ERK MAPK Pathway Controls Locomotion in Caenorhabditis elegans

The heterotrimeric G protein Gq regulates neuronal activity through distinct downstream effector pathways. In addition to the canonical Gq effector phospholipase Cβ, the small GTPase Rho was recently identified as a conserved effector of Gq. To identify additional molecules important for Gq signaling in neurons, we performed a forward genetic screen in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans for suppressors of the hyperactivity and exaggerated waveform of an activated Gq mutant. We isolated two mutations affecting the MAP kinase scaffold protein KSR-1 and found that KSR-1 modulates locomotion downstream of, or in parallel to, the Gq-Rho pathway. Through epistasis experiments, we found that the core ERK MAPK cascade is required for Gq-Rho regulation of locomotion, but that the canonical ERK activator LET-60/Ras may not be required. Through neuron-specific rescue experiments, we found that the ERK pathway functions in head acetylcholine neurons to control Gq-dependent locomotion. Additionally, expression of activated LIN-45/Raf in head acetylcholine neurons is sufficient to cause an exaggerated waveform phenotype and hypersensitivity to the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor aldicarb, similar to an activated Gq mutant. Taken together, our results suggest that the ERK MAPK pathway modulates the output of Gq-Rho signaling to control locomotion behavior in C. elegans.

The presynaptic machinery at the synapse of C. elegans

Synapses are specialized contact sites that mediate information flow between neurons and their targets. Important physical interactions across the synapse are mediated by synaptic adhesion molecules. These adhesions regulate formation of synapses during development and play a role during mature synaptic function. Importantly, genes regulating synaptogenesis and axon regeneration are conserved across the animal phyla. Genetic screens in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans have identified a number of molecules required for synapse patterning and assembly. C. elegans is able to survive even with its neuronal function severely compromised. This is in comparison with Drosophila and mice where increased complexity makes them less tolerant to impaired function. Although this fact may reflect differences in the function of the homologous proteins in the synapses between these organisms, the most likely interpretation is that many of these components are equally important, but not absolutely essential, for synaptic transmission to support the relatively undemanding life style of laboratory maintained C. elegans. Here, we review research on the major group of synaptic proteins, involved in the presynaptic machinery in C. elegans, showing a strong conservation between higher organisms and highlight how C. elegans can be used as an informative tool for dissecting synaptic components, based on a simple nervous system organization.

Food responsiveness regulates episodic behavioral states in Caenorhabditis elegans

Animals optimize survival and reproduction in part through control of behavioral states, which depend on an organism's internal and external environments. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans a variety of behavioral states have been described, including roaming, dwelling, quiescence, and episodic swimming. These states have been considered in isolation under varied experimental conditions, making it difficult to establish a unified picture of how they are regulated. Using long-term imaging, we examined C. elegans episodic behavioral states under varied mechanical and nutritional environments. We found that animals alternate between high-activity (active) and low-activity (sedentary) episodes in any mechanical environment, while the incidence of episodes and their behavioral composition depend on food levels. During active episodes, worms primarily roam, as characterized by continuous whole body movement. During sedentary episodes, animals exhibit dwelling (slower movements confined to the anterior half of the body) and quiescence (a complete lack of movement). Roaming, dwelling, and quiescent states are manifest not only through locomotory characteristics but also in pharyngeal pumping (feeding) and in egg-laying behaviors. Next, we analyzed the genetic basis of behavioral states. We found that modulation of behavioral states depends on neuropeptides and insulin-like signaling in the nervous system. Sensory neurons and the Foraging homolog EGL-4 regulate behavior through control of active/sedentary episodes. Optogenetic stimulation of dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons induced dwelling, implicating dopamine as a dwell-promoting neurotransmitter. Our findings provide a more unified description of behavioral states and suggest that perception of nutrition is a conserved mechanism for regulating animal behavior.NEW & NOTEWORTHY One strategy by which animals adapt to their internal states and external environments is by adopting behavioral states. The roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans is an attractive model for investigating how behavioral states are genetically and neuronally controlled. Here we describe the hierarchical organization of behavioral states characterized by locomotory activity, feeding, and egg-laying. We show that decisions to engage in these behaviors are controlled by the nervous system through insulin-like signaling and the perception of food.

The NCA-1 and NCA-2 Ion Channels Function Downstream of Gq and Rho To Regulate Locomotion in Caenorhabditis elegans

The heterotrimeric G protein G_q positively regulates neuronal activity and synaptic transmission. Previously, the Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor Trio was identified as a direct effector of G_q that acts in parallel to the canonical G_q effector phospholipase C. Here, we examine how Trio and Rho act to stimulate neuronal activity downstream of G_q in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans Through two forward genetic screens, we identify the cation channels NCA-1 and NCA-2, orthologs of mammalian NALCN, as downstream targets of the G_q-Rho pathway. By performing genetic epistasis analysis using dominant activating mutations and recessive loss-of-function mutations in the members of this pathway, we show that NCA-1 and NCA-2 act downstream of G_q in a linear pathway. Through cell-specific rescue experiments, we show that function of these channels in head acetylcholine neurons is sufficient for normal locomotion in C. elegans Our results suggest that NCA-1 and NCA-2 are physiologically relevant targets of neuronal G_q-Rho signaling in C. elegans.

Caenorhabditis elegans Male Copulation Circuitry Incorporates Sex-Shared Defecation Components To Promote Intromission and Sperm Transfer

Sexual dimorphism can be achieved using a variety of mechanisms, including sex-specific circuits and sex-specific function of shared circuits, though how these work together to produce sexually dimorphic behaviors requires further investigation. Here, we explore how components of the sex-shared defecation circuitry are incorporated into the sex-specific male mating circuitry in Caenorhabditis elegans to produce successful copulation. Using behavioral studies, calcium imaging, and genetic manipulation, we show that aspects of the defecation system are coopted by the male copulatory circuitry to facilitate intromission and ejaculation. Similar to hermaphrodites, male defecation is initiated by an intestinal calcium wave, but circuit activity is coordinated differently during mating. In hermaphrodites, the tail neuron DVB promotes expulsion of gut contents through the release of the neurotransmitter GABA onto the anal depressor muscle. However, in the male, both neuron and muscle take on modified functions to promote successful copulation. Males require calcium-dependent activator protein for secretion (CAPS)/unc-31, a dense core vesicle exocytosis activator protein, in the DVB to regulate copulatory spicule insertion, while the anal depressor is remodeled to promote release of sperm into the hermaphrodite. This work shows how sex-shared circuitry is modified in multiple ways to contribute to sex-specific mating.

Fast cAMP Modulation of Neurotransmission via Neuropeptide Signals and Vesicle Loading

Cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling augments synaptic transmission, but because many targets of cAMP and protein kinase A (PKA) may be involved, mechanisms underlying this pathway remain unclear. To probe this mechanism, we used optogenetic stimulation of cAMP signaling by Beggiatoa-photoactivated adenylyl cyclase (bPAC) in Caenorhabditis elegans motor neurons. Behavioral, electron microscopy (EM), and electrophysiology analyses revealed cAMP effects on both the rate and on quantal size of transmitter release and led to the identification of a neuropeptidergic pathway affecting quantal size. cAMP enhanced synaptic vesicle (SV) fusion by increasing mobilization and docking/priming. cAMP further evoked dense core vesicle (DCV) release of neuropeptides, in contrast to channelrhodopsin (ChR2) stimulation. cAMP-evoked DCV release required UNC-31/Ca²⁺-dependent activator protein for secretion (CAPS). Thus, DCVs accumulated in unc-31 mutant synapses. bPAC-induced neuropeptide signaling acts presynaptically to enhance vAChT-dependent SV loading with acetylcholine, thus causing increased miniature postsynaptic current amplitudes (mPSCs) and significantly enlarged SVs.

Neuroendocrine Coordination of Mitochondrial Stress Signaling and Proteostasis

During neurodegenerative disease, the toxic accumulation of aggregates and misfolded proteins is often accompanied with widespread changes in peripheral metabolism, even in cells in which the aggregating protein is not present. The mechanism by which the central nervous system elicits a distal reaction to proteotoxic stress remains unknown. We hypothesized that the endocrine communication of neuronal stress plays a causative role in the changes in mitochondrial homeostasis associated with proteotoxic disease states. We find that an aggregation-prone protein expressed in the neurons of C. elegans binds to mitochondria, eliciting a global induction of a mitochondrial-specific unfolded protein response (UPR(mt)), affecting whole-animal physiology. Importantly, dense core vesicle release and secretion of the neurotransmitter serotonin is required for the signal's propagation. Collectively, these data suggest the commandeering of a nutrient sensing network to allow for cell-to-cell communication between mitochondria in response to protein folding stress in the nervous system.

Release-dependent feedback inhibition by a presynaptically localized ligand-gated anion channel

Presynaptic ligand-gated ion channels (LGICs) have long been proposed to affect neurotransmitter release and to tune the neural circuit activity. However, the understanding of their in vivo physiological action remains limited, partly due to the complexity in channel types and scarcity of genetic models. Here we report that C. elegans LGC-46, a member of the Cys-loop acetylcholine (ACh)-gated chloride (ACC) channel family, localizes to presynaptic terminals of cholinergic motor neurons and regulates synaptic vesicle (SV) release kinetics upon evoked release of acetylcholine. Loss of lgc-46 prolongs evoked release, without altering spontaneous activity. Conversely, a gain-of-function mutation of lgc-46 shortens evoked release to reduce synaptic transmission. This inhibition of presynaptic release requires the anion selectivity of LGC-46, and can ameliorate cholinergic over-excitation in a C. elegans model of excitation-inhibition imbalance. These data demonstrate a novel mechanism of presynaptic negative feedback in which an anion-selective LGIC acts as an auto-receptor to inhibit SV release.

Multiple excitatory and inhibitory neural signals converge to fine-tune Caenorhabditis elegans feeding to food availability

How an animal matches feeding to food availability is a key question for energy homeostasis. We addressed this in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, which couples feeding to the presence of its food (bacteria) by regulating pharyngeal activity (pumping). We scored pumping in the presence of food and over an extended time course of food deprivation in wild-type and mutant worms to determine the neural substrates of adaptive behavior. Removal of food initially suppressed pumping but after 2 h this was accompanied by intermittent periods of high activity. We show pumping is fine-tuned by context-specific neural mechanisms and highlight a key role for inhibitory glutamatergic and excitatory cholinergic/peptidergic drives in the absence of food. Additionally, the synaptic protein UNC-31 [calcium-activated protein for secretion (CAPS)] acts through an inhibitory pathway not explained by previously identified contributions of UNC-31/CAPS to neuropeptide or glutamate transmission. Pumping was unaffected by laser ablation of connectivity between the pharyngeal and central nervous system indicating signals are either humoral or intrinsic to the enteric system. This framework in which control is mediated through finely tuned excitatory and inhibitory drives resonates with mammalian hypothalamic control of feeding and suggests that fundamental regulation of this basic animal behavior may be conserved through evolution from nematode to human.

A Generative Statistical Algorithm for Automatic Detection of Complex Postures

This paper presents a method for automated detection of complex (non-self-avoiding) postures of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and its application to analyses of locomotion defects. Our approach is based on progressively detailed statistical models that enable detection of the head and the body even in cases of severe coilers, where data from traditional trackers is limited. We restrict the input available to the algorithm to a single digitized frame, such that manual initialization is not required and the detection problem becomes embarrassingly parallel. Consequently, the proposed algorithm does not propagate detection errors and naturally integrates in a "big data" workflow used for large-scale analyses. Using this framework, we analyzed the dynamics of postures and locomotion of wild-type animals and mutants that exhibit severe coiling phenotypes. Our approach can readily be extended to additional automated tracking tasks such as tracking pairs of animals (e.g., for mating assays) or different species.

Homeostasis in C. elegans sleep is characterized by two behaviorally and genetically distinct mechanisms

Biological homeostasis invokes modulatory responses aimed at stabilizing internal conditions. Using tunable photo- and mechano-stimulation, we identified two distinct categories of homeostatic responses during the sleep-like state of Caenorhabditis elegans (lethargus). In the presence of weak or no stimuli, extended motion caused a subsequent extension of quiescence. The neuropeptide Y receptor homolog, NPR-1, and an inhibitory neuropeptide known to activate it, FLP-18, were required for this process. In the presence of strong stimuli, the correlations between motion and quiescence were disrupted for several minutes but homeostasis manifested as an overall elevation of the time spent in quiescence. This response to strong stimuli required the function of the DAF-16/FOXO transcription factor in neurons, but not that of NPR-1. Conversely, response to weak stimuli did not require the function of DAF-16/FOXO. These findings suggest that routine homeostatic stabilization of sleep may be distinct from homeostatic compensation following a strong disturbance.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04380.001

The regenerative properties of sleep are required by all animals, with even the simplest animal, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, displaying a sleep-like state called lethargus. During development, nematodes must pass through four larval stages en route to adulthood, and the end of each stage is preceded by a period of lethargus lasting 2 to 3 hr.

Human sleep is divided into distinct stages that recur in a prescribed order throughout the night. Nematodes, on the other hand, simply experience alternating periods of activity and stillness as they sleep. Nevertheless, in both species, any disruptions to sleep automatically lead to adjustments of the rest of the sleep cycle to compensate for the disturbance and to ensure that the organism gets an adequate amount of sleep overall.

To date, it has been assumed that a single mechanism is responsible for adjusting the sleep cycle after any disturbance, regardless of its severity. However, Nagy, Tramm, Sanders et al. now show that this is not the case in C. elegans. Sleeping nematodes that were lightly disturbed by exposing them to light or to vibrations—causing them to briefly increase their activity levels—compensated for the disturbance by lengthening their next inactive period. By contrast, worms that were vigorously agitated by stronger vibrations showed a different response: the alternating pattern of stillness and activity was disrupted for several minutes, followed by an overall increase in the length of time spent in the stillness phase.

Experiments using genetically modified worms revealed that these two responses involve distinct molecular pathways. A signaling molecule called neuropeptide Y affects the response to minor sleep disruptions, whereas a transcription factor called DAF-16/FOXO is involved in the corresponding role after major disruptions. Given that neuropeptide Y has already been implicated in sleep regulation in humans and flies, it is not implausible that similar mechanisms may occur in response to disturbances of our own sleep.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04380.002

The neuropeptide NLP-22 regulates a sleep-like state in Caenorhabditis elegans

Neuropeptides play central roles in the regulation of homeostatic behaviors such as sleep and feeding. Caenorhabditis elegans displays sleep-like quiescence of locomotion and feeding during a larval transition stage called lethargus and feeds during active larval and adult stages. Here we show that the neuropeptide NLP-22 is a regulator of Caenorhabditis elegans sleep-like quiescence observed during lethargus. nlp-22 shows cyclical mRNA expression in synchrony with lethargus; it is regulated by LIN-42, an orthologue of the core circadian protein PERIOD; and it is expressed solely in the two RIA interneurons. nlp-22 and the RIA interneurons are required for normal lethargus quiescence, and forced expression of nlp-22 during active stages causes anachronistic locomotion and feeding quiescence. Optogenetic stimulation of RIA interneurons has a movement-promoting effect, demonstrating functional complexity in a single neuron type. Our work defines a quiescence-regulating role for NLP-22 and expands our knowledge of the neural circuitry controlling Caenorhabditis elegans behavioral quiescence.

Two Rab2 interactors regulate dense-core vesicle maturation

Peptide neuromodulators are released from a unique organelle: the dense-core vesicle. Dense-core vesicles are generated at the trans-Golgi and then sort cargo during maturation before being secreted. To identify proteins that act in this pathway, we performed a genetic screen in Caenorhabditis elegans for mutants defective in dense-core vesicle function. We identified two conserved Rab2-binding proteins: RUND-1, a RUN domain protein, and CCCP-1, a coiled-coil protein. RUND-1 and CCCP-1 colocalize with RAB-2 at the Golgi, and rab-2, rund-1, and cccp-1 mutants have similar defects in sorting soluble and transmembrane dense-core vesicle cargos. RUND-1 also interacts with the Rab2 GAP protein TBC-8 and the BAR domain protein RIC-19, a RAB-2 effector. In summary, a pathway of conserved proteins controls the maturation of dense-core vesicles at the trans-Golgi network.

CAPS and Munc13: CATCHRs that SNARE Vesicles

CAPS (Calcium-dependent Activator Protein for Secretion, aka CADPS) and Munc13 (Mammalian Unc-13) proteins function to prime vesicles for Ca(2+)-triggered exocytosis in neurons and neuroendocrine cells. CAPS and Munc13 proteins contain conserved C-terminal domains that promote the assembly of SNARE complexes for vesicle priming. Similarities of the C-terminal domains of CAPS/Munc13 proteins with Complex Associated with Tethering Containing Helical Rods domains in multi-subunit tethering complexes (MTCs) have been reported. MTCs coordinate multiple interactions for SNARE complex assembly at constitutive membrane fusion steps. We review aspects of these diverse tethering and priming factors to identify common operating principles.

An organelle gatekeeper function for Caenorhabditis elegans UNC-16 (JIP3) at the axon initial segment

Neurons must cope with extreme membrane trafficking demands to produce axons with organelle compositions that differ dramatically from those of the cell soma and dendrites; however, the mechanism by which they accomplish this is not understood. Here we use electron microscopy and quantitative imaging of tagged organelles to show that Caenorhabditis elegans axons lacking UNC-16 (JIP3/Sunday Driver) accumulate Golgi, endosomes, and lysosomes at levels up to 10-fold higher than wild type, while ER membranes are largely unaffected. Time lapse microscopy of tagged lysosomes in living animals and an analysis of lysosome distributions in various regions of unc-16 mutant axons revealed that UNC-16 inhibits organelles from escaping the axon initial segment (AIS) and moving to the distal synaptic part of the axon. Immunostaining of native UNC-16 in C. elegans neurons revealed a localized concentration of UNC-16 at the initial segment, although UNC-16 is also sparsely distributed in distal regions of axons, including the synaptic region. Organelles that escape the AIS in unc-16 mutants show bidirectional active transport within the axon commissure that occasionally deposits them in the synaptic region, where their mobility decreases and they accumulate. These results argue against the long-standing, untested hypothesis that JIP3/Sunday Driver promotes anterograde organelle transport in axons and instead suggest an organelle gatekeeper model in which UNC-16 (JIP3/Sunday Driver) selectively inhibits the escape of Golgi and endosomal organelles from the AIS. This is the first evidence for an organelle gatekeeper function at the AIS, which could provide a regulatory node for controlling axon organelle composition.

A longitudinal study of Caenorhabditis elegans larvae reveals a novel locomotion switch, regulated by G(αs) signaling

Despite their simplicity, longitudinal studies of invertebrate models are rare. We thus sought to characterize behavioral trends of Caenorhabditis elegans, from the mid fourth larval stage through the mid young adult stage. We found that, outside of lethargus, animals exhibited abrupt switching between two distinct behavioral states: active wakefulness and quiet wakefulness. The durations of epochs of active wakefulness exhibited non-Poisson statistics. Increased G_αs signaling stabilized the active wakefulness state before, during and after lethargus. In contrast, decreased G_αs signaling, decreased neuropeptide release, or decreased CREB activity destabilized active wakefulness outside of, but not during, lethargus. Taken together, our findings support a model in which protein kinase A (PKA) stabilizes active wakefulness, at least in part through two of its downstream targets: neuropeptide release and CREB. However, during lethargus, when active wakefulness is strongly suppressed, the native role of PKA signaling in modulating locomotion and quiescence may be minor.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00782.001

The roundworm C. elegans is a key model organism in neuroscience. It has a simple nervous system, made up of just 302 neurons, and was the first multicellular organism to have its genome fully sequenced. The lifecycle of C. elegans begins with an embryonic stage, followed by four larval stages and then adulthood, and worms can progress through this cycle in only three days. However, relatively little is known about how the behaviour of the worms varies across these distinct developmental phases.

The body wall of C. elegans contains pairs of muscles that extend along its length, and when waves of muscle contraction travel along its body, the worm undergoes a sinusoidal pattern of movement. A signalling cascade involving a molecule called protein kinase A is thought to help control these movements, and upregulation of this cascade has been shown to increase locomotion.

Now, Nagy et al. have analysed the movement of C. elegans during these different stages of development. This involved developing an image processing tool that can analyze the position and posture of a worm’s body in each of three million (or more) images per day. Using this tool, which is called PyCelegans, Nagy et al. identified two behavioral macro-states in one of the larval forms of C. elegans: these states, which can persist for hours, are referred to as active wakefulness and quiet wakefulness. During periods of active wakefulness, the worms spent most (but not all) of their time moving forwards; during quiet wakefulness, they remained largely still.

The worms switched abruptly between these two states, and the transition seemed to be regulated by PKA signaling. By using PyCelegans to compare locomotion in worms with mutations in genes encoding various components of this pathway, Nagy et al. showed that mutants with increased PKA activity spent more time in a state of active wakefulness, while the opposite was true for worms with mutations that reduced PKA activity.

In addition to providing new insights into the control of locomotion in C. elegans, this study has provided a new open-source PyCelegans suite of tools, which are available to be extended and adapted by other researchers for new uses.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00782.002

Neuropeptides function in a homeostatic manner to modulate excitation-inhibition imbalance in C. elegans

Neuropeptides play crucial roles in modulating neuronal networks, including changing intrinsic properties of neurons and synaptic efficacy. We previously reported a Caenorhabditis elegans mutant, acr-2(gf), that displays spontaneous convulsions as the result of a gain-of-function mutation in a neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit. The ACR-2 channel is expressed in the cholinergic motor neurons, and acr-2(gf) causes cholinergic overexcitation accompanied by reduced GABAergic inhibition in the locomotor circuit. Here we show that neuropeptides play a homeostatic role that compensates for this excitation-inhibition imbalance in the locomotor circuit. Loss of function in genes required for neuropeptide processing or release of dense core vesicles specifically modulate the convulsion frequency of acr-2(gf). The proprotein convertase EGL-3 is required in the cholinergic motor neurons to restrain convulsions. Electrophysiological recordings of neuromuscular junctions show that loss of egl-3 in acr-2(gf) causes a further reduction of GABAergic inhibition. We identify two neuropeptide encoding genes, flp-1 and flp-18, that together counteract the excitation-inhibition imbalance in acr-2(gf) mutants. We further find that acr-2(gf) causes an increased expression of flp-18 in the ventral cord cholinergic motor neurons and that overexpression of flp-18 reduces the convulsion of acr-2(gf) mutants. The effects of these peptides are in part mediated by two G-protein coupled receptors, NPR-1 and NPR-5. Our data suggest that the chronic overexcitation of the cholinergic motor neurons imposed by acr-2(gf) leads to an increased production of FMRFamide neuropeptides, which act to decrease the activity level of the locomotor circuit, thereby homeostatically modulating the excitation and inhibition imbalance.

Imbalanced neuronal circuit activity is considered a major underlying cause in many neurological disorders, such as epilepsy and autism. Neuropeptides are small polypeptides that are released from neurons. They are widely known to provide neuromodulatory functions and have diverse roles in the nervous system. By investigating a C. elegans mutant that exhibits convulsions as the result of an imbalanced excitation and inhibition in the locomotor circuit, we have identified a homeostatic mechanism involving two distinct neuropeptide genes. We find that the expression of the neuropeptides is up-regulated in response to over-excitation and that, in turn, they act to increase inhibitory transmission. While current treatment strategies for epilepsy have focused on targeting fast synaptic transmission, this work supports the general notion that manipulating slow neuropeptide neurotransmission can strongly influence neural excitation and inhibition imbalance.

Neuronal Goα and CAPS regulate behavioral and immune responses to bacterial pore-forming toxins

Pore-forming toxins (PFTs) are abundant bacterial virulence factors that attack host cell plasma membranes. Host defense mechanisms against PFTs described to date all function in the host tissue that is directly attacked by the PFT. Here we characterize a rapid and fully penetrant cessation of feeding of Caenorhabditis elegans in response to PFT attack. We demonstrate via analyses of C. elegans mutants that inhibition of feeding by PFT requires the neuronal G protein Goα subunit goa-1, and that maintenance of this response requires neuronally expressed calcium activator for protein secretion (CAPS) homolog unc-31. Independently from their role in feeding cessation, we find that goa-1 and unc-31 are additionally required for immune protection against PFTs. We thus demonstrate that the behavioral and immune responses to bacterial PFT attack involve the cross-talk between the nervous system and the cells directly under attack.

Meeting report: 2012 Caenorhabditis elegans Neurobiology meeting, EMBL Advanced Training Centre, Germany

Some of the finest minds in the field of Caenorhabditis elegans neurobiology were brought together from 14 June to 17 June 2012 in the small, quaint and picturesque German city of Heidelberg for the biannual C. elegans neurobiology conference. Held at the EMBL Advanced Training Centre and wonderfully organised by Diah Yulianti, Jean-Louis Bessereau, Gert Jansen and William Schafer, the meeting contained 62 verbal presentations and hundreds of posters that were displayed around the double-helical walkways that looped throughout the conference centre. Presentations on recent advances in microfluidics, cell ablation and targeted gene expression exemplified the strengths of C. elegans as a model organism, with these advances allowing detailed high-throughput analysis and study. Interesting behaviours that were previously poorly characterised were widely discussed, as were the advantages of C. elegans as a model for neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration and the investigation of neuropeptide function. The examples discussed in this meeting report seek to illustrate the breadth and depth of presentations given on these recurring topics.

Genetic interactions between UNC-17/VAChT and a novel transmembrane protein in Caenorhabditis elegans

The unc-17 gene encodes the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) in Caenorhabditis elegans. unc-17 reduction-of-function mutants are small, slow growing, and uncoordinated. Several independent unc-17 alleles are associated with a glycine-to-arginine substitution (G347R), which introduces a positive charge in the ninth transmembrane domain (TMD) of UNC-17. To identify proteins that interact with UNC-17/VAChT, we screened for mutations that suppress the uncoordinated phenotype of UNC-17(G347R) mutants. We identified several dominant allele-specific suppressors, including mutations in the sup-1 locus. The sup-1 gene encodes a single-pass transmembrane protein that is expressed in a subset of neurons and in body muscles. Two independent suppressor alleles of sup-1 are associated with a glycine-to-glutamic acid substitution (G84E), resulting in a negative charge in the SUP-1 TMD. A sup-1 null mutant has no obvious deficits in cholinergic neurotransmission and does not suppress unc-17 mutant phenotypes. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) analysis demonstrated close association of SUP-1 and UNC-17 in synapse-rich regions of the cholinergic nervous system, including the nerve ring and dorsal nerve cords. These observations suggest that UNC-17 and SUP-1 are in close proximity at synapses. We propose that electrostatic interactions between the UNC-17(G347R) and SUP-1(G84E) TMDs alter the conformation of the mutant UNC-17 protein, thereby restoring UNC-17 function; this is similar to the interaction between UNC-17/VAChT and synaptobrevin.

Monoamines and neuropeptides interact to inhibit aversive behaviour in Caenorhabditis elegans

Pain modulation is complex, but noradrenergic signalling promotes anti-nociception, with α(2)-adrenergic agonists used clinically. To better understand the noradrenergic/peptidergic modulation of nociception, we examined the octopaminergic inhibition of aversive behaviour initiated by the Caenorhabditis elegans nociceptive ASH sensory neurons. Octopamine (OA), the invertebrate counterpart of norepinephrine, modulates sensory-mediated reversal through three α-adrenergic-like OA receptors. OCTR-1 and SER-3 antagonistically modulate ASH signalling directly, with OCTR-1 signalling mediated by Gα(o). In contrast, SER-6 inhibits aversive responses by stimulating the release of an array of 'inhibitory' neuropeptides that activate receptors on sensory neurons mediating attraction or repulsion, suggesting that peptidergic signalling may integrate multiple sensory inputs to modulate locomotory transitions. These studies highlight the complexity of octopaminergic/peptidergic interactions, the role of OA in activating global peptidergic signalling cascades and the similarities of this modulatory network to the noradrenergic inhibition of nociception in mammals, where norepinephrine suppresses chronic pain through inhibitory α(2)-adrenoreceptors on afferent nociceptors and stimulatory α(1)-receptors on inhibitory peptidergic interneurons.

Regulation of extrasynaptic 5-HT by serotonin reuptake transporter function in 5-HT-absorbing neurons underscores adaptation behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans

Serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)]-absorbing neurons use serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT) to uptake 5-HT from extracellular space but do not synthesize it. While 5-HT-absorbing neurons have been identified in diverse organisms from Caenorhabditis elegans to humans, their function has not been elucidated. Here, we show that SERT in 5-HT-absorbing neurons controls behavioral response to food deprivation in C. elegans. The AIM and RIH interneurons uptake 5-HT released from chemosensory neurons and secretory neurons. Genetic analyses suggest that 5-HT secreted by both synaptic vesicles and dense core vesicles diffuse readily to the extrasynaptic space adjacent to the AIM and RIH neurons. Loss of mod-5/SERT function blocks the 5-HT absorption. mod-5/SERT mutants have been shown to exhibit exaggerated locomotor response to food deprivation. We found that transgenic expression of MOD-5/SERT in the 5-HT-absorbing neurons fully corrected the exaggerated behavior. Experiments of cell-specific inhibition of synaptic transmission suggest that the synaptic release of 5-HT from the 5-HT-absorbing neurons is not required for this behavioral modulation. Our data point to the role of 5-HT-absorbing neurons as temporal-spatial regulators of extrasynaptic 5-HT. Regulation of extrasynaptic 5-HT levels by 5-HT-absorbing neurons may represent a fundamental mechanism of 5-HT homeostasis, integrating the activity of 5-HT-producing neurons with distant targets in the neural circuits, and could be relevant to some actions of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in humans.

UNC-73/trio RhoGEF-2 activity modulates Caenorhabditis elegans motility through changes in neurotransmitter signaling upstream of the GSA-1/Galphas pathway

Rho-family GTPases play regulatory roles in many fundamental cellular processes. Caenorhabditis elegans UNC-73 RhoGEF isoforms function in axon guidance, cell migration, muscle arm extension, phagocytosis, and neurotransmission by activating either Rac or Rho GTPase subfamilies. Multiple differentially expressed UNC-73 isoforms contain a Rac-specific RhoGEF-1 domain, a Rho-specific RhoGEF-2 domain, or both domains. The UNC-73E RhoGEF-2 isoform is activated by the G-protein subunit Gαq and is required for normal rates of locomotion; however, mechanisms of UNC-73 and Rho pathway regulation of locomotion are not clear. To better define UNC-73 function in the regulation of motility we used cell-specific and inducible promoters to examine the temporal and spatial requirements of UNC-73 RhoGEF-2 isoform function in mutant rescue experiments. We found that UNC-73E acts within peptidergic neurons of mature animals to regulate locomotion rate. Although unc-73 RhoGEF-2 mutants have grossly normal synaptic morphology and weak resistance to the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor aldicarb, they are significantly hypersensitive to the acetylcholine receptor agonist levamisole, indicating alterations in acetylcholine neurotransmitter signaling. Consistent with peptidergic neuron function, unc-73 RhoGEF-2 mutants exhibit a decreased level of neuropeptide release from motor neuron dense core vesicles (DCVs). The unc-73 locomotory phenotype is similar to those of rab-2 and unc-31, genes with distinct roles in the DCV-mediated secretory pathway. We observed that constitutively active Gαs pathway mutations, which compensate for DCV-mediated signaling defects, rescue unc-73 RhoGEF-2 and rab-2 lethargic movement phenotypes. Together, these data suggest UNC-73 RhoGEF-2 isoforms are required for proper neurotransmitter signaling and may function in the DCV-mediated neuromodulatory regulation of locomotion rate.

HID-1, a new component of the peptidergic signaling pathway

hid-1 was originally identified as a Caenorhabditis elegans gene encoding a novel conserved protein that regulates the decision to enter into the enduring dauer larval stage. We isolated a novel allele of hid-1 in a forward genetic screen for mutants mislocalizing RBF-1 rabphilin, a RAB-27 effector. Here we demonstrate that HID-1 functions in the nervous system to regulate neuromuscular signaling and in the intestine to regulate the defecation motor program. We further show that a conserved N-terminal myristoylated motif of both invertebrate and vertebrate HID-1 is essential for its association with intracellular membranes in nematodes and PC12 cells. C. elegans neuronal HID-1 resides on intracellular membranes in neuronal cell somas; however, the kinesin UNC-104 also transports HID-1 to synaptic regions. HID-1 accumulates in the axons of unc-13 and unc-31 mutants, suggesting it is associated with neurosecretory vesicles. Consistent with this, genetic studies place HID-1 in a peptidergic signaling pathway. Finally, a hid-1 null mutation reduces the levels of endogenous neuropeptides and alters the secretion of fluorescent-tagged cargos derived from neuronal and intestinal dense core vesicles (DCVs). Taken together, our findings indicate that HID-1 is a novel component of a DCV-based neurosecretory pathway and that it regulates one or more aspects of the biogenesis, maturation, or trafficking of DCVs.

The monoaminergic modulation of sensory-mediated aversive responses in Caenorhabditis elegans requires glutamatergic/peptidergic cotransmission

Monoamines and neuropeptides interact to modulate behavioral plasticity in both vertebrates and invertebrates. In Caenorhabditis elegans behavioral state or "mood" is dependent on food availability and is translated by both monoaminergic and peptidergic signaling in the fine-tuning of most behaviors. In the present study, we have examined the interaction of monoamines and peptides on C. elegans aversive behavior mediated by a pair of polymodal, nociceptive, ASH sensory neurons. Food or serotonin sensitize the ASHs and stimulate aversive responses through a pathway requiring the release of nlp-3-encoded neuropeptides from the ASHs. Peptides encoded by nlp-3 appear to stimulate ASH-mediated aversive behavior through the neuropeptide receptor-17 (NPR-17) receptor. nlp-3- and npr-17-null animals exhibit identical phenotypes and animals overexpressing either nlp-3 or npr-17 exhibit elevated aversive responses off food that are absent when nlp-3 or npr-17 are overexpressed in npr-17- or nlp-3-null animals, respectively. ASH-mediated aversive responses are increased by activating either Galpha(q) or Galpha(s) in the ASHs, with Galpha(s) signaling specifically stimulating the release of nlp-3-encoded peptides. In contrast, octopamine appears to inhibit 5-HT stimulation by activating Galpha(o) signaling in the ASHs that, in turn, inhibits both Galpha(s) and Galpha(q) signaling and the release of nlp-3-encoded peptides. These results demonstrate that serotonin and octopamine reversibly modulate the activity of the ASHs, and highlight the utility of the C. elegans model for defining interactions between monoamines and peptides in individual neurons of complex sensory-mediated circuits.

UNC-31/CAPS docks and primes dense core vesicles in C. elegans neurons

UNC-31 or its mammalian homologue, Ca(2+)-dependent activator protein for secretion (CAPS), is indispensable for exocytosis of dense core vesicle (DCV) and synaptic vesicle (SV). From N- to the C-terminus, UNC-31 contains putative functional domains, including dynactin 1 binding domain (DBD), C2, PH, (M)UNC-13 homology domain (MHD) and DCV binding domain (DCVBD), the last four we examined in this study. We employed UNC-31 null mutant C. elegans worms to examine whether UNC-31 functions could be rescued by ectopic expression of full length UNC-31 vs each of these four domain-deleted mutants. Full length UNC-31 cDNA rescued the phenotypes of C. elegans null mutants in response to Ca(2+)-elevation in ALA neurons. Surprisingly, MHD deletion also rescued UNC-31 exocytotic function in part because the relatively high Ca(2+) level (pre-flash Ca(2+) was 450 nM) used in the capacitance study could bypass the MHD defect. Nonetheless, the three other domain-truncation cDNAs had almost no rescue on Ca(2+) evoked secretion. Importantly, this genetic null mutant rescue strategy enabled physiological studies at levels of whole organism to single cells, such as locomotion assay, pharmacological study of neurotransmission at neuromuscular junction, in vivo neuropeptide release measurement and analysis of vesicular docking. Our results suggest that each of these UNC-31 domains support distinct sequential molecular actions of UNC-31 in vesicular exocytosis, including steps in vesicle tethering and docking that bridge vesicle with plasma membrane, and subsequently priming vesicle by initiating the formation of soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) core complex.

Impaired dense core vesicle maturation in Caenorhabditis elegans mutants lacking Rab2

Uncoordinated movement in Rab2 mutants is caused by impaired retention of cargo on dense core vesicles, not by defective synaptic vesicle release. (Also see the companion article by Sumakovic et al. in this issue.)

Despite a key role for dense core vesicles (DCVs) in neuronal function, there are major gaps in our understanding of DCV biogenesis. A genetic screen for Caenorhabditis elegans mutants with behavioral defects consistent with impaired DCV function yielded five mutations in UNC-108 (Rab2). A genetic analysis showed that unc-108 mutations impair a DCV function unrelated to neuropeptide release that, together with neuropeptide release, fully accounts for the role of DCVs in locomotion. An electron microscopy analysis of DCVs in unc-108 mutants, coupled with quantitative imaging of DCV cargo proteins, revealed that Rab2 acts in cell somas during DCV maturation to prevent the loss of soluble and membrane cargo. In Rab2 null mutants, two thirds of these cargoes move to early endosomes via a PI(3)P-dependent trafficking pathway, whereas aggregated neuropeptides are unaffected. These results reveal how neurons solve a challenging trafficking problem using the most highly conserved animal Rab.

Insights into RGS protein function from studies in Caenorhabditis elegans

The nematode worm, Caenorhabditis elegans, contains orthologs of most regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) protein subfamilies and all four G protein α-subunit subfamilies found in mammals. Every C. elegans RGS and Gα gene has been knocked out, and the in vivo functions and Gα targets of a number of RGS proteins have been characterized in detail. This has revealed a complex relationship between the RGS and Gα proteins, in which multiple RGS proteins can regulate the same Gα protein, either by acting redundantly or by exerting control over signaling under different circumstances or in different cells. RGS proteins that are coexpressed can also show specificity for distinct Gα targets in vivo, and the determinants of such specificity can reside outside of the RGS domain. This review will discuss how analysis in C. elegans may aid us in achieving a full understanding of the physiological functions of RGS proteins.

Loss of the transcriptional repressor PAG-3/Gfi-1 results in enhanced neurosecretion that is dependent on the dense-core vesicle membrane protein IDA-1/IA-2

It is generally accepted that neuroendocrine cells regulate dense core vesicle (DCV) biogenesis and cargo packaging in response to secretory demands, although the molecular mechanisms of this process are poorly understood. One factor that has previously been implicated in DCV regulation is IA-2, a catalytically inactive protein phosphatase present in DCV membranes. Our ability to directly visualize a functional, GFP-tagged version of an IA-2 homolog in live Caenorhabditis elegans animals has allowed us to capitalize on the genetics of the system to screen for mutations that disrupt DCV regulation. We found that loss of activity in the transcription factor PAG-3/Gfi-1, which functions as a repressor in many systems, results in a dramatic up-regulation of IDA-1/IA-2 and other DCV proteins. The up-regulation of DCV components was accompanied by an increase in presynaptic DCV numbers and resulted in phenotypes consistent with increased neuroendocrine secretion. Double mutant combinations revealed that these PAG-3 mutant phenotypes were dependent on wild type IDA-1 function. Our results support a model in which IDA-1/IA-2 is a critical element in DCV regulation and reveal a novel genetic link to PAG-3-mediated transcriptional regulation. To our knowledge, this is the first mutation identified that results in increased neurosecretion, a phenotype that has clinical implications for DCV-mediated secretory disorders.

Within secretory cells, hormones are packaged into vesicles (called DCVs) that are released upon stimulation. The number of DCVs is regulated to meet the secretory demands of the cell by a mechanism that is poorly understood, although a protein in the membrane of DCVs, called IA-2, is thought to play a role. A genetic screen in the nematode C. elegans is used, here, to find mutations that mis-regulate the corresponding worm protein called IDA-1. Capitalizing on the simple neuroanatomy of the nematode and its transparency, we visualize IDA-1 protein levels directly in the animal using a fluorescent tag. We find that mutations in the transcription factor PAG-3/Gfi-1 result in elevated levels of IDA-1 protein, increased numbers of presynaptic DCVs, and behaviors consistent with increased neurosecretion. Our results demonstrate that IDA-1/IA-2 protein levels correlate with the biogenesis, utilization, or stability of DCVs. We propose that PAG-3 normally down regulates the production of IDA-1, thus serving as part of the mechanism underlying DCV regulation. This is the first reported mutation that increases DCV numbers and secretion, offering insight into DCV homeostasis and a potential therapeutic target for diseases that would benefit from a boost in neuroendocrine secretion.

Developmentally regulated Ca2+-dependent activator protein for secretion 2 (CAPS2) is involved in BDNF secretion and is associated with autism susceptibility

The postnatal development of the cerebellum is accomplished via a series of cytogenetic and morphogenetic events encoded in the genome. To decipher the underlying genetic basis of these events we have systematized the spatio-temporal gene expression profiles during mouse cerebellar development in the Cerebellar Development Transcriptome Database (CDT-DB). Using the CDT-DB, Ca(2+)-dependent activator protein for secretion 2 (CAPS2 or CADPS2) was identified as a developmentally regulated gene that is predominantly expressed in cerebellar granule cells (GCs) with an expression peak around the first or second postnatal week. CAPS2 protein is concentrated in parallel fiber (PF) terminals and is associated with secretory vesicles containing brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3). CAPS2 enhances release of BDNF and NT-3, both of which are essential for normal cerebellar development. CAPS2-deficient (CAPS2(-/-)) mice show reduced secretion of BDNF and NT-3; consequently, the cerebella of these mice exhibit developmental deficits, such as delayed development and increased cell death in GCs, fewer branched dendrites on Purkinje cells (PCs), and loss of the intercrural fissure. The PF-PC synapses have aberrant cytoarchitectures and electrophysiological properties. These abnormal cellular and morphological phenotypes are more severe around the cerebellar vermis, in which hypoplasia has been reported in autism patients. Moreover, CAPS2(-/-) mice had fewer cortical and hippocampal parvalbumin-positive interneurons and some autistic-like behavioral phenotypes. In the CAPS2 genes of some autistic patients an aberrant splicing variant and non-synonymous SNPs have been identified. These recent studies implicate CAPS2 in autism susceptibility. Therefore, CAPS2(-/-) mice will be a useful model animal in which to study aspects of the neuropathology and behaviors characteristic of developmental disorders.