|
1
|
Lopez JS, Ali S, Asher M, Benjamin CA, Brennan RT, Burke MLT, Civantos JM, DeJesus EA, Geller A, Guo MY, Haase Cox SK, Johannsen JM, Kang JSJ, Konsker HB, Liu BC, Oakes KG, Park HI, Perez DR, Sajjadian AM, Torio Salem M, Sato J, Zeng AI, Juarez BH, Gonzalez M, Morales G, Bradon N, Fiocca K, Pamplona Barbosa MM, O'Connell LA. Pavement ant extract is a chemotaxis repellent for C. elegans. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2024; 2024:10.17912/micropub.biology.001146. [PMID: 38596360 PMCID: PMC11002644 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.001146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Ant behavior relies on a collection of natural products, from following trail pheromones during foraging to warding off potential predators. How nervous systems sense these compounds to initiate a behavioral response remains unclear. Here, we used Caenorhabditis elegans chemotaxis assays to investigate how ant compounds are detected by heterospecific nervous systems. We found that C. elegans avoid extracts of the pavement ant ( Tetramorium immigrans ) and either osm-9 or tax-4 ion channels are required for this response. These experiments were conducted in an undergraduate laboratory course, demonstrating that new insights into interspecies interactions can be generated through genuine research experiences in a classroom setting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jayela S. Lopez
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Saif Ali
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Malcom Asher
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Christina A. Benjamin
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Ryan T. Brennan
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Mai Ly T. Burke
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Joseph M. Civantos
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Emilia A. DeJesus
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Ana Geller
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Michaela Y. Guo
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Sophia K. Haase Cox
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Julia M. Johannsen
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Joshua S. J. Kang
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Harrison B. Konsker
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Benjamin C. Liu
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Kylie G. Oakes
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Hannah I. Park
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Diego R. Perez
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Amin M. Sajjadian
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Madeleine Torio Salem
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Justine Sato
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Amanda I. Zeng
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Bryan H. Juarez
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Mabel Gonzalez
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Griselda Morales
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Nicole Bradon
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Katherine Fiocca
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Mila M. Pamplona Barbosa
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Lauren A. O'Connell
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| |
Collapse
|
|
2
|
Alfonso SA, Arango Sumano D, Bhatt DA, Cullen AB, Hajian CM, Huang W, Jaeger EL, Li E, Maske AK, Offenberg EG, Ta V, Whiting WW, Adebogun GT, Bachmann AE, Callan AA, Khan U, Lewis AR, Pollock AC, Ramirez D, Bradon N, Fiocca K, Cote LE, Sallee MD, McKinney J, O'Connell LA. Argentine ant extract induces an osm-9 dependent chemotaxis response in C. elegans. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2023; 2023:10.17912/micropub.biology.000745. [PMID: 37008729 PMCID: PMC10051032 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
Abstract
Many ant species are equipped with chemical defenses, although how these compounds impact nervous system function is unclear. Here, we examined the utility of Caenorhabditis elegans chemotaxis assays for investigating how ant chemical defense compounds are detected by heterospecific nervous systems. We found that C. elegans respond to extracts from the invasive Argentine Ant ( Linepithema humile ) and the osm-9 ion channel is required for this response. Divergent strains varied in their response to L. humile extracts, suggesting genetic variation underlying chemotactic responses. These experiments were conducted by an undergraduate laboratory course, highlighting how C. elegans chemotaxis assays in a classroom setting can provide genuine research experiences and reveal new insights into interspecies interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian A. Alfonso
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Daniel Arango Sumano
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Dhruv A. Bhatt
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Aidan B. Cullen
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Cyrus M. Hajian
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Winnie Huang
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Emma L. Jaeger
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Emily Li
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - A. Kaile Maske
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Emma G. Offenberg
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Vy Ta
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Waymon W. Whiting
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Grace T. Adebogun
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Annabelle E. Bachmann
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Ashlyn A. Callan
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Ummara Khan
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Amaris R. Lewis
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Alexa C. Pollock
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Dave Ramirez
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Nicole Bradon
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Katherine Fiocca
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Lauren E. Cote
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Maria D. Sallee
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Jordan McKinney
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
| | - Lauren A. O'Connell
- BIO161 Organismal Biology Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
- Correspondence to: Lauren A. O'Connell (
)
| |
Collapse
|