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Romussi S, Giunti S, Andersen N, De Rosa MJ. C. elegans: a prominent platform for modeling and drug screening in neurological disorders. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2024; 19:565-585. [PMID: 38509691 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2024.2329103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Human neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases (NDevDs and NDegDs, respectively) encompass a broad spectrum of disorders affecting the nervous system with an increasing incidence. In this context, the nematode C. elegans, has emerged as a benchmark model for biological research, especially in the field of neuroscience. AREAS COVERED The authors highlight the numerous advantages of this tiny worm as a model for exploring nervous system pathologies and as a platform for drug discovery. There is a particular focus given to describing the existing models of C. elegans for the study of NDevDs and NDegDs. Specifically, the authors underscore their strong applicability in preclinical drug development. Furthermore, they place particular emphasis on detailing the common techniques employed to explore the nervous system in both healthy and diseased states. EXPERT OPINION Drug discovery constitutes a long and expensive process. The incorporation of invertebrate models, such as C. elegans, stands as an exemplary strategy for mitigating costs and expediting timelines. The utilization of C. elegans as a platform to replicate nervous system pathologies and conduct high-throughput automated assays in the initial phases of drug discovery is pivotal for rendering therapeutic options more attainable and cost-effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Romussi
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología de Invertebrados, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca (INIBIBB), UNS-CONICET, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Sebastián Giunti
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología de Invertebrados, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca (INIBIBB), UNS-CONICET, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
- Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS), Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Natalia Andersen
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología de Invertebrados, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca (INIBIBB), UNS-CONICET, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
- Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS), Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - María José De Rosa
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología de Invertebrados, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca (INIBIBB), UNS-CONICET, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
- Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS), Bahía Blanca, Argentina
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2
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Lin C, Shan Y, Wang Z, Peng H, Li R, Wang P, He J, Shen W, Wu Z, Guo M. Molecular and circuit mechanisms underlying avoidance of rapid cooling stimuli in C. elegans. Nat Commun 2024; 15:297. [PMID: 38182628 PMCID: PMC10770330 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44638-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms by which animals respond to rapid changes in temperature are largely unknown. Here, we found that polymodal ASH sensory neurons mediate rapid cooling-evoked avoidance behavior within the physiological temperature range in C. elegans. ASH employs multiple parallel circuits that consist of stimulatory circuits (AIZ, RIA, AVA) and disinhibitory circuits (AIB, RIM) to respond to rapid cooling. In the stimulatory circuit, AIZ, which is activated by ASH, releases glutamate to act on both GLR-3 and GLR-6 receptors in RIA neurons to promote reversal, and ASH also directly or indirectly stimulates AVA to promote reversal. In the disinhibitory circuit, AIB is stimulated by ASH through the GLR-1 receptor, releasing glutamate to act on AVR-14 to suppress RIM activity. RIM, an inter/motor neuron, inhibits rapid cooling-evoked reversal, and the loop activities thus equally stimulate reversal. Our findings elucidate the molecular and circuit mechanisms underlying the acute temperature stimuli-evoked avoidance behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenxi Lin
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
- College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Yuxin Shan
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
- College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Zhongyi Wang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
- College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Hui Peng
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Rong Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Pingzhou Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Junyan He
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Weiwei Shen
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Zhengxing Wu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Min Guo
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China.
- College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
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3
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Blasi D, Gonzalez-Pato N, Rodriguez Rodriguez X, Diez-Zabala I, Srinivasan SY, Camarero N, Esquivias O, Roldán M, Guasch J, Laromaine A, Gorostiza P, Veciana J, Ratera I. Ratiometric Nanothermometer Based on a Radical Excimer for In Vivo Sensing. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2207806. [PMID: 37060223 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202207806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Ratiometric fluorescent nanothermometers with near-infrared emission play an important role in in vivo sensing since they can be used as intracellular thermal sensing probes with high spatial resolution and high sensitivity, to investigate cellular functions of interest in diagnosis and therapy, where current approaches are not effective. Herein, the temperature-dependent fluorescence of organic nanoparticles is designed, synthesized, and studied based on the dual emission, generated by monomer and excimer species, of the tris(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)methyl radical (TTM) doping organic nanoparticles (TTMd-ONPs), made of optically neutral tris(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)methane (TTM-αH), acting as a matrix. The excimer emission intensity of TTMd-ONPs decreases with increasing temperatures whereas the monomer emission is almost independent and can be used as an internal reference. TTMd-ONPs show a great temperature sensitivity (3.4% K-1 at 328 K) and a wide temperature response at ambient conditions with excellent reversibility and high colloidal stability. In addition, TTMd-ONPs are not cytotoxic and their ratiometric outputs are unaffected by changes in the environment. Individual TTMd-ONPs are able to sense temperature changes at the nano-microscale. In vivo thermometry experiments in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) worms show that TTMd-ONPs can locally monitor internal body temperature changes with spatio-temporal resolution and high sensitivity, offering multiple applications in the biological nanothermometry field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Blasi
- Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, 70125, Italy
| | - Nerea Gonzalez-Pato
- Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
| | - Xavier Rodriguez Rodriguez
- Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
| | - Iñigo Diez-Zabala
- Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
| | | | - Núria Camarero
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Clúster, Baldiri Reixac 10-12, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
| | - Oriol Esquivias
- Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
| | - Mònica Roldán
- Unitat de Microscòpia Confocal i Imatge Cellular, Servei de Medicina Genètica i Molecular, Institut Pediàtric de Malaties Rares (IPER), Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, 08950, Spain
| | - Judith Guasch
- Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
- Dynamic Biomimetics for Cancer Immunotherapy, Max Planck Partner Group, ICMAB-CSIC, Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
| | - Anna Laromaine
- Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
| | - Pau Gorostiza
- Networking Research Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Clúster, Baldiri Reixac 10-12, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, 08010, Spain
| | - Jaume Veciana
- Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
| | - Imma Ratera
- Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
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4
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Higurashi S, Tsukada S, Aleogho BM, Park JH, Al-Hebri Y, Tanaka M, Nakano S, Mori I, Noma K. Bacterial diet affects the age-dependent decline of associative learning in Caenorhabditis elegans. eLife 2023; 12:81418. [PMID: 37252859 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The causality and mechanism of dietary effects on brain aging are still unclear due to the long time scales of aging. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has contributed to aging research because of its short lifespan and easy genetic manipulation. When fed the standard laboratory diet, Escherichia coli, C. elegans experiences an age-dependent decline in temperature-food associative learning, called thermotaxis. To address if diet affects this decline, we screened 35 lactic acid bacteria as alternative diet and found that animals maintained high thermotaxis ability when fed a clade of Lactobacilli enriched with heterofermentative bacteria. Among them, Lactobacillus reuteri maintained the thermotaxis of aged animals without affecting their lifespan and motility. The effect of Lb. reuteri depends on the DAF-16 transcription factor functioning in neurons. Furthermore, RNA sequencing analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes between aged animals fed different bacteria were enriched with DAF-16 targets. Our results demonstrate that diet can impact brain aging in a daf-16-dependent manner without changing the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Higurashi
- Milk Science Research Institute, Megmilk Snow Brand Co. Ltd., Saitama, Japan
- Group of Nutritional Neuroscience, Neuroscience Institute, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Sachio Tsukada
- Milk Science Research Institute, Megmilk Snow Brand Co. Ltd., Saitama, Japan
- Group of Nutritional Neuroscience, Neuroscience Institute, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Binta Maria Aleogho
- Group of Nutritional Neuroscience, Neuroscience Institute, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
- Group of Molecular Neurobiology, Neuroscience Institute, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
- Group of Microbial Motility, Department of Biological Science, Division of Natural Science, Graduate school of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Joo Hyun Park
- Group of Nutritional Neuroscience, Neuroscience Institute, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yana Al-Hebri
- Group of Nutritional Neuroscience, Neuroscience Institute, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Masaru Tanaka
- Milk Science Research Institute, Megmilk Snow Brand Co. Ltd., Saitama, Japan
- Group of Nutritional Neuroscience, Neuroscience Institute, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Shunji Nakano
- Group of Molecular Neurobiology, Neuroscience Institute, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Ikue Mori
- Group of Molecular Neurobiology, Neuroscience Institute, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kentaro Noma
- Group of Nutritional Neuroscience, Neuroscience Institute, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
- Group of Molecular Neurobiology, Neuroscience Institute, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
- Group of Microbial Motility, Department of Biological Science, Division of Natural Science, Graduate school of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
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5
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Roman A, Palanski K, Nemenman I, Ryu WS. A dynamical model of C. elegans thermal preference reveals independent excitatory and inhibitory learning pathways. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2215191120. [PMID: 36940330 PMCID: PMC10068832 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2215191120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans is capable of learning and remembering behaviorally relevant cues such as smells, tastes, and temperature. This is an example of associative learning, a process in which behavior is modified by making associations between various stimuli. Since the mathematical theory of conditioning does not account for some of its salient aspects, such as spontaneous recovery of extinguished associations, accurate modeling of behavior of real animals during conditioning has turned out difficult. Here, we do this in the context of the dynamics of the thermal preference of C. elegans. We quantify C. elegans thermotaxis in response to various conditioning temperatures, starvation durations, and genetic perturbations using a high-resolution microfluidic droplet assay. We model these data comprehensively, within a biologically interpretable, multi-modal framework. We find that the strength of the thermal preference is composed of two independent, genetically separable contributions and requires a model with at least four dynamical variables. One pathway positively associates the experienced temperature independently of food and the other negatively associates with the temperature when food is absent. The multidimensional structure of the association strength provides an explanation for the apparent classical temperature-food association of C. elegans thermal preference and a number of longstanding questions in animal learning, including spontaneous recovery, asymmetric response to appetitive vs. aversive cues, latent inhibition, and generalization among similar cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Roman
- Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA30322
| | | | - Ilya Nemenman
- Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA30322
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA30322
- Initiative in Theory and Modeling of Living Systems, Emory University, Atlanta, GA30322
| | - William S. Ryu
- Department of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A7, Canada
- The Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
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6
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Morrison M, Young LS. Chaotic heteroclinic networks as models of switching behavior in biological systems. CHAOS (WOODBURY, N.Y.) 2022; 32:123102. [PMID: 36587320 DOI: 10.1063/5.0122184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Key features of biological activity can often be captured by transitions between a finite number of semi-stable states that correspond to behaviors or decisions. We present here a broad class of dynamical systems that are ideal for modeling such activity. The models we propose are chaotic heteroclinic networks with nontrivial intersections of stable and unstable manifolds. Due to the sensitive dependence on initial conditions, transitions between states are seemingly random. Dwell times, exit distributions, and other transition statistics can be built into the model through geometric design and can be controlled by tunable parameters. To test our model's ability to simulate realistic biological phenomena, we turned to one of the most studied organisms, C. elegans, well known for its limited behavioral states. We reconstructed experimental data from two laboratories, demonstrating the model's ability to quantitatively reproduce dwell times and transition statistics under a variety of conditions. Stochastic switching between dominant states in complex dynamical systems has been extensively studied and is often modeled as Markov chains. As an alternative, we propose here a new paradigm, namely, chaotic heteroclinic networks generated by deterministic rules (without the necessity for noise). Chaotic heteroclinic networks can be used to model systems with arbitrary architecture and size without a commensurate increase in phase dimension. They are highly flexible and able to capture a wide range of transition characteristics that can be adjusted through control parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Morrison
- Courant Institute, New York University, New York, New York 10012, USA
| | - Lai-Sang Young
- Courant Institute, New York University, New York, New York 10012, USA
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7
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Lillis PE, Kennedy IP, Carolan JC, Griffin CT. Low-temperature exposure has immediate and lasting effects on the stress tolerance, chemotaxis and proteome of entomopathogenic nematodes. Parasitology 2022; 150:1-14. [PMID: 36328953 PMCID: PMC10090647 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182022001445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Temperature is one of the most important factors affecting soil organisms, including the infective stages of parasites and entomopathogenic nematodes, which are important biological control agents. We investigated the response of 2 species of entomopathogenic nematodes to different storage regimes: cold (9°C), culture temperature (20°C) and temperature swapped from 9 to 20°C. For Steinernema carpocapsae, cold storage had profound effects on chemotaxis, stress tolerance and protein expression that were retained in temperature-swapped individuals. These effects included reversal of chemotactic response for 3 (prenol, methyl salicylate and hexanol) of the 4 chemicals tested, and enhanced tolerance to freezing (−10°C) and desiccation (75% RH). Label-free quantitative proteomics showed that cold storage induced widespread changes in S. carpocapsae, including an increase in heat-shock proteins and late embryogenesis abundant proteins. For Heterorhabditis megidis, cold storage had a less dramatic effect on chemotaxis (as previously shown for proteomic expression) and changes were not maintained on return to 20°C. Thus, cold temperature exposure has significant effects on entomopathogenic nematodes, but the nature of the change depends on the species. Steinernema carpocapsae, in particular, displays significant plasticity, and its behaviour and stress tolerance may be manipulated by brief exposure to low temperatures, with implications for its use as a biological control agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter E. Lillis
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland
| | - Ian P. Kennedy
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland
| | - James C. Carolan
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland
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8
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Segref A, Vakkayil KL, Padvitski T, Li Q, Kroef V, Lormann J, Körner L, Finger F, Hoppe T. Thermosensation in Caenorhabditis elegans is linked to ubiquitin-dependent protein turnover via insulin and calcineurin signalling. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5874. [PMID: 36198694 PMCID: PMC9534930 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33467-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Organismal physiology and survival are influenced by environmental conditions and linked to protein quality control. Proteome integrity is achieved by maintaining an intricate balance between protein folding and degradation. In Caenorhabditis elegans, acute heat stress determines cell non-autonomous regulation of chaperone levels. However, how the perception of environmental changes, including physiological temperature, affects protein degradation remains largely unexplored. Here, we show that loss-of-function of dyf-1 in Caenorhabditis elegans associated with dysfunctional sensory neurons leads to defects in both temperature perception and thermal adaptation of the ubiquitin/proteasome system centered on thermosensory AFD neurons. Impaired perception of moderate temperature changes worsens ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis in intestinal cells. Brain-gut communication regulating protein turnover is mediated by upregulation of the insulin-like peptide INS-5 and inhibition of the calcineurin-regulated forkhead-box transcription factor DAF-16/FOXO. Our data indicate that perception of ambient temperature and its neuronal integration is important for the control of proteome integrity in complex organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Segref
- Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany.
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
| | - Kavya L Vakkayil
- Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Tsimafei Padvitski
- Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Qiaochu Li
- Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Virginia Kroef
- Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jakob Lormann
- Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Lioba Körner
- Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Fabian Finger
- Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thorsten Hoppe
- Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, 50674, Cologne, Germany.
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
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9
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Xiao W, Yu M, Yuan Y, Liu X, Chen Y. Thermotaxis of mammalian sperm. Mol Hum Reprod 2022; 28:6650698. [PMID: 35894944 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaac027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sperm are guided through the female reproductive tract. A temperature difference of about 2 °C exists between the storage site and fertilization site of the mammalian oviduct, leading to the hypothesis that sperm can sense and swim towards the oocyte along a rising temperature gradient, known as thermotaxis. Research over the past two decades has reported that sperm feature a sophisticated thermal detection system to detect and track ambient temperature gradients. More recently, thermotaxis is expected to be added to the microfluidic isolation method based on sperm tactic responses for sperm selection. In this paper, mammalian sperm thermotaxis is discussed, explaining the underlying behavioral mechanisms and molecular basis, according to the latest research. Finally, this paper explores the possible application of sperm thermotaxis in assisted reproductive technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanglong Xiao
- Institute of Life Science and School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330031, P. R. China
| | - Mengdi Yu
- Institute of Life Science and School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330031, P. R. China
| | - Yan Yuan
- Institute of Life Science and School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330031, P. R. China
| | - Xingzhu Liu
- Queen Mary College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330031, P. R. China
| | - Ying Chen
- Institute of Life Science and School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330031, P. R. China.,Key Laboratory of Reproductive Physiology and Pathology in Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, P. R. China
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10
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Raiders S, Klein M, Singhvi A. Multiplexing Thermotaxis Behavior Measurement in Caenorhabditis elegans. Bio Protoc 2022; 12:e4370. [PMID: 35530512 PMCID: PMC9018438 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.4370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Thermotaxis behaviors in C. elegans exhibit experience-dependent plasticity of thermal preference memory. This behavior can be assayed either at population level, on linear temperature gradients, or at the individual animal level, by radial isothermal or microfluidic tracking of orientation. These behaviors are low-throughput as well as variable, due to the inherent sensitivity to environmental perturbations. To facilitate reproducible studies, we describe an updated apparatus design that enables simultaneous runs of three thermal preference assays, instead of single-run assays described previously. By enabling parallel runs of control and experimental conditions, this set-up enables more throughput and rigorous assessment of behavioral variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Raiders
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Washington, USA
| | - Mason Klein
- Department of Physics and Department of Biology, University of Miami, USA
| | - Aakanksha Singhvi
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Washington, USA
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington School of Medicine, USA
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11
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Glauser DA. Temperature sensing and context-dependent thermal behavior in nematodes. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 73:102525. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2022.102525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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12
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Vakkayil KL, Hoppe T. Temperature-Dependent Regulation of Proteostasis and Longevity. FRONTIERS IN AGING 2022; 3:853588. [PMID: 35821840 PMCID: PMC9261408 DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2022.853588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Temperature is an important environmental condition that determines the physiology and behavior of all organisms. Animals use different response strategies to adapt and survive fluctuations in ambient temperature. The hermaphrodite Caenorhabditis elegans has a well-studied neuronal network consisting of 302 neurons. The bilateral AFD neurons are the primary thermosensory neurons in the nematode. In addition to regulating thermosensitivity, AFD neurons also coordinate cellular stress responses through systemic mechanisms involving neuroendocrine signaling. Recent studies have examined the effects of temperature on altering various signaling pathways through specific gene expression programs that promote stress resistance and longevity. These studies challenge the proposed theories of temperature-dependent regulation of aging as a passive thermodynamic process. Instead, they provide evidence that aging is a well-defined genetic program. Loss of protein homeostasis (proteostasis) is one of the key hallmarks of aging. Indeed, proteostasis pathways, such as the heat shock response and aggregation of metastable proteins, are also controlled by thermosensory neurons in C. elegans. Prolonged heat stress is thought to play a critical role in the development of neurodegenerative protein misfolding diseases in humans. This review presents the latest evidence on how temperature coordinates proteostasis and aging. It also discusses how studies of poikilothermic organisms can be applied to vertebrates and provides new therapeutic strategies for human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavya Leo Vakkayil
- Institute for Genetics and Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Thorsten Hoppe
- Institute for Genetics and Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- *Correspondence: Thorsten Hoppe,
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13
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Ippolito D, Thapliyal S, Glauser DA. Ca 2+/CaM binding to CaMKI promotes IMA-3 importin binding and nuclear translocation in sensory neurons to control behavioral adaptation. eLife 2021; 10:71443. [PMID: 34766550 PMCID: PMC8635976 DOI: 10.7554/elife.71443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory and behavioral plasticity are essential for animals to thrive in changing environments. As key effectors of intracellular calcium signaling, Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases (CaMKs) can bridge neural activation with the many regulatory processes needed to orchestrate sensory adaptation, including by relaying signals to the nucleus. Here, we elucidate the molecular mechanism controlling the cell activation-dependent nuclear translocation of CMK-1, the Caenorhabditis elegans ortholog of mammalian CaMKI/IV, in thermosensory neurons in vivo. We show that an intracellular Ca2+ concentration elevation is necessary and sufficient to favor CMK-1 nuclear import. The binding of Ca2+/CaM to CMK-1 increases its affinity for IMA-3 importin, causing a redistribution with a relatively slow kinetics, matching the timescale of sensory adaptation. Furthermore, we show that this mechanism enables the encoding of opposite nuclear signals in neuron types with opposite calcium-responses and that it is essential for experience-dependent behavioral plasticity and gene transcription control in vivo. Since CaMKI/IV are conserved regulators of adaptable behaviors, similar mechanisms could exist in other organisms and for other sensory modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenica Ippolito
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Saurabh Thapliyal
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
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14
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Razzauti A, Laurent P. Ectocytosis prevents accumulation of ciliary cargo in C. elegans sensory neurons. eLife 2021; 10:67670. [PMID: 34533135 PMCID: PMC8492061 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cilia are sensory organelles protruding from cell surfaces. Release of extracellular vesicles (EVs) from cilia was previously observed in mammals, Chlamydomonas, and in male Caenorhabditis elegans. Using the EV marker TSP-6 (an ortholog of mammalian CD9) and other ciliary receptors, we show that EVs are formed from ciliated sensory neurons in C. elegans hermaphrodites. Release of EVs is observed from two ciliary locations: the cilia tip and/or periciliary membrane compartment (PCMC). Outward budding of EVs from the cilia tip leads to their release into the environment. EVs' budding from the PCMC is concomitantly phagocytosed by the associated glial cells. To maintain cilia composition, a tight regulation of cargo import and removal is achieved by the action of intra-flagellar transport (IFT). Unbalanced IFT due to cargo overexpression or mutations in the IFT machinery leads to local accumulation of ciliary proteins. Disposal of excess ciliary proteins via EVs reduces their local accumulation and exports them to the environment and/or to the glia associated to these ciliated neurons. We suggest that EV budding from cilia subcompartments acts as a safeguard mechanism to remove deleterious excess of ciliary material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adria Razzauti
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles(ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Patrick Laurent
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles(ULB), Brussels, Belgium
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15
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Bennett MS. What Behavioral Abilities Emerged at Key Milestones in Human Brain Evolution? 13 Hypotheses on the 600-Million-Year Phylogenetic History of Human Intelligence. Front Psychol 2021; 12:685853. [PMID: 34393912 PMCID: PMC8358274 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.685853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper presents 13 hypotheses regarding the specific behavioral abilities that emerged at key milestones during the 600-million-year phylogenetic history from early bilaterians to extant humans. The behavioral, intellectual, and cognitive faculties of humans are complex and varied: we have abilities as diverse as map-based navigation, theory of mind, counterfactual learning, episodic memory, and language. But these faculties, which emerge from the complex human brain, are likely to have evolved from simpler prototypes in the simpler brains of our ancestors. Understanding the order in which behavioral abilities evolved can shed light on how and why our brains evolved. To propose these hypotheses, I review the available data from comparative psychology and evolutionary neuroscience.
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16
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Caldart CS, Carpaneto A, Golombek DA. Synchronization of circadian locomotor activity behavior in Caernorhabditis elegans: Interactions between light and temperature. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY. B, BIOLOGY 2020; 211:112000. [PMID: 32919174 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2020.112000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 08/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Circadian rhythms are driven by an endogenous clock which is synchronized by daily environmental cycles (known as zeitgebers). Although the circadian responses of C. elegans to light have been recently reported, the mechanisms and pathways involved in their synchronization are still unknown. Here we present, by means of a novel behavioral approach, a complete characterization of C. elegans circadian synchronization to light and temperature cycles. Moreover, we screened mutant strains in search of defects of photic and thermal responses in order to study their putative pathways. We show that the wild-type strain is able to synchronize to combined cycles of light and temperature, with the best performance achieved under an optimal combination and phase-relationship of zeitgebers (high temperature in the dark phase and low temperature in the light phase). A lower responsiveness for the mutant strains MT21793 (lite-1/gur3 ko) and IK597 (gcy 8, 18 and 23 ko) was found in response to light and temperature, respectively. However, both mutants were still able to synchronize to a combined cycle of both stimuli. Our results shed light on the response of C. elegans to different zeitgebers as well as their possible synchronization pathways, the molecular components involved in these pathways, and their relative strength.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos S Caldart
- Laboratory of Chronobiology, Department of Science and Technology, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes/CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustín Carpaneto
- Laboratory of Chronobiology, Department of Science and Technology, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes/CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Diego A Golombek
- Laboratory of Chronobiology, Department of Science and Technology, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes/CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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17
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Dixit A, Sandhu A, Modi S, Shashikanth M, Koushika SP, Watts JL, Singh V. Neuronal control of lipid metabolism by STR-2 G protein-coupled receptor promotes longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans. Aging Cell 2020; 19:e13160. [PMID: 32432390 PMCID: PMC7294788 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Revised: 04/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) encoding family of genes constitutes more than 6% of genes in Caenorhabditis elegans genome. GPCRs control behavior, innate immunity, chemotaxis, and food search behavior. Here, we show that C. elegans longevity is regulated by a chemosensory GPCR STR-2, expressed in AWC and ASI amphid sensory neurons. STR-2 function is required at temperatures of 20°C and higher on standard Escherichia coli OP50 diet. Under these conditions, this neuronal receptor also controls health span parameters and lipid droplet (LD) homeostasis in the intestine. We show that STR-2 regulates expression of delta-9 desaturases, fat-5, fat-6 and fat-7, and of diacylglycerol acyltransferase dgat-2. Rescue of the STR-2 function in either AWC and ASI, or ASI sensory neurons alone, restores expression of fat-5, dgat-2 and restores LD stores and longevity. Rescue of stored fat levels of GPCR mutant animals to wild-type levels, with low concentration of glucose, rescues its lifespan phenotype. In all, we show that neuronal STR-2 GPCR facilitates control of neutral lipid levels and longevity in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anubhuti Dixit
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and GeneticsIndian Institute of ScienceBangaloreIndia
- Present address:
Amity Institute of Neuropsychology and NeurosciencesAmity UniversityNoidaIndia
| | - Anjali Sandhu
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and GeneticsIndian Institute of ScienceBangaloreIndia
| | - Souvik Modi
- Department of Biological SciencesTata Institute of Fundamental ResearchMumbaiIndia
| | - Meghana Shashikanth
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and GeneticsIndian Institute of ScienceBangaloreIndia
| | - Sandhya P. Koushika
- Department of Biological SciencesTata Institute of Fundamental ResearchMumbaiIndia
| | - Jennifer L. Watts
- School of Molecular BiosciencesWashington State UniversityPullmanWAUSA
| | - Varsha Singh
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and GeneticsIndian Institute of ScienceBangaloreIndia
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18
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Panes JD, Godoy PA, Silva-Grecchi T, Celis MT, Ramirez-Molina O, Gavilan J, Muñoz-Montecino C, Castro PA, Moraga-Cid G, Yévenes GE, Guzmán L, Salisbury JL, Trushina E, Fuentealba J. Changes in PGC-1α/SIRT1 Signaling Impact on Mitochondrial Homeostasis in Amyloid-Beta Peptide Toxicity Model. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:709. [PMID: 32523530 PMCID: PMC7261959 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive impairment that increasingly afflicts the elderly population. Soluble oligomers (AβOs) has been implicated in AD pathogenesis: however, the molecular events underlying a role for Aβ are not well understood. We studied the effects of AβOs on mitochondrial function and on key proteins that regulate mitochondrial dynamics and biogenesis in hippocampal neurons and PC-12 cells. We find that AβOs treatment caused a reduction in total Mfn1 after a 2 h exposure (42 ± 11%); while DRP1 increased at 1 and 2 h (205 ± 22% and 198 ± 27%, respectively), correlating to changes in mitochondrial morphology. We also observed that SIRT1 levels were reduced after acute and chronic AβOs treatment (68 ± 7% and 77 ± 6%, respectively); while PGC-1α levels were reduced with the same time treatments (68 ± 8% and 67 ± 7%, respectively). Interestingly, we found that chronic treatment with AβOs increased the levels of pSIRT1 (24 h: 157 ± 18%), and we observed changes in the PGC-1α and p-SIRT1 nucleus/cytosol ratio and SIRT1-PGC-1α interaction pattern after chronic exposure to AβOs. Our data suggest that AβOs induce important changes in the level and localization of mitochondrial proteins related with the loss of mitochondrial function that are mediated by a fast and sustained SIRT1/PGC-1α complex disruption promoting a “non-return point” to an irreversible synaptic failure and neuronal network disconnection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica D Panes
- Laboratory of Screening of Neuroactive Compound, Physiology Department, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Pamela A Godoy
- Laboratory of Screening of Neuroactive Compound, Physiology Department, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Tiare Silva-Grecchi
- Laboratory of Screening of Neuroactive Compound, Physiology Department, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - María T Celis
- Laboratory of Screening of Neuroactive Compound, Physiology Department, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Oscar Ramirez-Molina
- Laboratory of Screening of Neuroactive Compound, Physiology Department, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Javiera Gavilan
- Laboratory of Screening of Neuroactive Compound, Physiology Department, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Carola Muñoz-Montecino
- Physiology Department, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Patricio A Castro
- Physiology Department, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Gustavo Moraga-Cid
- Physiology Department, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Gonzalo E Yévenes
- Physiology Department, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Leonardo Guzmán
- Physiology Department, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | | | - Eugenia Trushina
- Neurology Research, Mayo Clinic Foundation, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Jorge Fuentealba
- Laboratory of Screening of Neuroactive Compound, Physiology Department, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile.,Center for Advanced Research on Biomedicine (CIAB-UdeC), Physiology Department, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
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19
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Goetting DL, Mansfield R, Soto R, Buskirk CV. Cellular damage, including wounding, drives C. elegans stress-induced sleep. J Neurogenet 2020; 34:430-439. [PMID: 32362197 DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2020.1752203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Across animal phyla, sleep is associated with increased cellular repair, suggesting that cellular damage may be a core component of sleep pressure. In support of this notion, sleep in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans can be triggered by damaging conditions, including noxious heat, high salt, and ultraviolet light exposure. It is not clear, however, whether this stress-induced sleep (SIS) is a direct consequence of cellular damage, or of a resulting energy deficit, or whether it is triggered simply by the sensation of noxious conditions. Here, we show that thermosensation is dispensable for heat-induced sleep, that osmosensation is dispensable for salt-induced sleep, and that wounding is also a sleep trigger, together indicating that SIS is not triggered by sensation of noxious environments. We present evidence that genetic variation in cellular repair pathways impacts sleep amount, and that SIS involves systemic monitoring of cellular damage. We show that the low-energy sensor AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is not required for SIS, suggesting that energy deficit is not the primary sleep trigger. Instead, AMPK-deficient animals display enhanced SIS responses, and pharmacological activation of AMPK reduces SIS, suggesting that ATP-dependent repair of cellular damage mitigates sleep pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desiree L Goetting
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Richard Mansfield
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Rony Soto
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Cheryl Van Buskirk
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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20
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Lia AS, Glauser DA. A system for the high-throughput analysis of acute thermal avoidance and adaptation in C. elegans. J Biol Methods 2020; 7:e129. [PMID: 32313814 PMCID: PMC7163209 DOI: 10.14440/jbm.2020.324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Nociception and its plasticity are essential biological processes controlling adaptive behavioral responses in animals. These processes are also linked to different pain conditions in human and have received considerable attention, notably via studies in rodent models and the use of heat-evoked withdrawal behavior assays as a readout of unpleasant experience. More recently, invertebrates have also emerged as useful complementary models, with their own set of advantages, including their amenability to genetic manipulations, the accessibility and relative simplicity of their nervous system and ethical concerns linked to animal suffering. Like humans, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) can detect noxious heat and produce avoidance responses such as reversals. Here, we present a methodology suitable for the high-throughput analysis of C. elegans heat-evoked reversals and the adaptation to repeated stimuli. We introduce two platforms: the INFERNO (for infrared-evoked reversal analysis platform), allowing the quantification of the thermal sensitivity in a petri dish containing a large population (> 100 animals), and the ThermINATOR (for thermal adaptation multiplexed induction platform), allowing the mass-adaptation of up to 18 worm populations at the same time. We show that wild type animals progressively desensitize in response to repeated noxious heat pulses. Furthermore, analyzing the phenotype of mutant animals, we show that the mechanisms underlying baseline sensitivity and adaptation, respectively, are supported by genetically separable molecular pathways. In conclusion, the presented method enables the high-throughput evaluation of thermal avoidance in C. elegans and will contribute to accelerate studies in the field with this invertebrate model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei-Stefan Lia
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
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21
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Nett EM, Sepulveda NB, Petrella LN. Defects in mating behavior and tail morphology are the primary cause of sterility in Caenorhabditis elegans males at high temperature. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.208041. [PMID: 31672732 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.208041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Reproduction is a fundamental imperative of all forms of life. For all the advantages sexual reproduction confers, it has a deeply conserved flaw: it is temperature sensitive. As temperatures rise, fertility decreases. Across species, male fertility is particularly sensitive to elevated temperature. Previously, we have shown in the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans that all males are fertile at 20°C, but almost all males have lost fertility at 27°C. Male fertility is dependent on the production of functional sperm, successful mating and transfer of sperm, and successful fertilization post-mating. To determine how male fertility is impacted by elevated temperature, we analyzed these aspects of male reproduction at 27°C in three wild-type strains of C. elegans: JU1171, LKC34 and N2. We found no effect of elevated temperature on the number of immature non-motile spermatids formed. There was only a weak effect of elevated temperature on sperm activation. In stark contrast, there was a strong effect of elevated temperature on male mating behavior, male tail morphology and sperm transfer such that males very rarely completed mating successfully when exposed to 27°C. Therefore, we propose a model where elevated temperature reduces male fertility as a result of the negative impacts of temperature on the somatic tissues necessary for mating. Loss of successful mating at elevated temperature overrides any effects that temperature may have on the germline or sperm cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M Nett
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - Nicholas B Sepulveda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - Lisa N Petrella
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
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22
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Worms on a Chip. Bioanalysis 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/978-981-13-6229-3_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
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23
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Vieira N, Bessa C, Rodrigues AJ, Marques P, Chan FY, de Carvalho AX, Correia-Neves M, Sousa N. Sorting nexin 3 mutation impairs development and neuronal function in Caenorhabditis elegans. Cell Mol Life Sci 2018; 75:2027-2044. [PMID: 29196797 PMCID: PMC11105199 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-017-2719-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Revised: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The sorting nexins family of proteins (SNXs) plays pleiotropic functions in protein trafficking and intracellular signaling and has been associated with several disorders, namely Alzheimer's disease and Down's syndrome. Despite the growing association of SNXs with neurodegeneration, not much is known about their function in the nervous system. The aim of this work was to use the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans that encodes in its genome eight SNXs orthologs, to dissect the role of distinct SNXs, particularly in the nervous system. By screening the C. elegans SNXs deletion mutants for morphological, developmental and behavioral alterations, we show here that snx-3 gene mutation leads to an array of developmental defects, such as delayed hatching, decreased brood size and life span and reduced body length. Additionally, ∆snx-3 worms present increased susceptibility to osmotic, thermo and oxidative stress and distinct behavioral deficits, namely, a chemotaxis defect which is independent of the described snx-3 role in Wnt secretion. ∆snx-3 animals also display abnormal GABAergic neuronal architecture and wiring and altered AIY interneuron structure. Pan-neuronal expression of C. elegans snx-3 cDNA in the ∆snx-3 mutant is able to rescue its locomotion defects, as well as its chemotaxis toward isoamyl alcohol. Altogether, the present work provides the first in vivo evidence of the SNX-3 role in the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neide Vieira
- School of Medicine, Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Carlos Bessa
- School of Medicine, Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Ana J Rodrigues
- School of Medicine, Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Paulo Marques
- School of Medicine, Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Fung-Yi Chan
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular-IBMC, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Xavier de Carvalho
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular-IBMC, Porto, Portugal
| | - Margarida Correia-Neves
- School of Medicine, Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Nuno Sousa
- School of Medicine, Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal.
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
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24
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Yoon S, Piao H, Jeon TJ, Kim SM. Microfluidic Platform for Analyzing the Thermotaxis of C. elegans in a Linear Temperature Gradient. ANAL SCI 2017; 33:1435-1440. [PMID: 29225236 DOI: 10.2116/analsci.33.1435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), which shares a considerable amount of characteristics with human genes is one of the important model organisms for the study of behavioral responses. Thermotaxis is a representative behavior response of C. elegans; C. elegans stores the cultivation temperature in thermosensory neurons and moves to the cultivation temperature region in a temperature variation. In this study, we developed a microfluidic system for effective thermotaxis analysis of C. elegans. The microfluidic channel was fabricated using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) by soft lithography process. The temperature gradient (15 - 20°C) was generated in the microchannel and controlled by Peltier modules attached to the bottom of the channel. The thermotaxis of wild type (N2), tax-4(p678) and ttx-7(nj50) mutants were effectively analyzed using this microfluidic system. We believe that this system can be employed as a basic platform for studying the neural circuit of C. elegans responding to external stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunhee Yoon
- Department of Biological Engineering, Inha University.,WCSL of Integrated Human Airway-on-a-Chip, Inha University
| | - Hailing Piao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Inha University
| | - Tae-Joon Jeon
- Department of Biological Engineering, Inha University.,WCSL of Integrated Human Airway-on-a-Chip, Inha University
| | - Sun Min Kim
- WCSL of Integrated Human Airway-on-a-Chip, Inha University.,Department of Mechanical Engineering, Inha University
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25
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Augustin H, McGourty K, Allen MJ, Madem SK, Adcott J, Kerr F, Wong CT, Vincent A, Godenschwege T, Boucrot E, Partridge L. Reduced insulin signaling maintains electrical transmission in a neural circuit in aging flies. PLoS Biol 2017; 15:e2001655. [PMID: 28902870 PMCID: PMC5597081 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2001655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Lowered insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling (IIS) can extend healthy lifespan in worms, flies, and mice, but it can also have adverse effects (the “insulin paradox”). Chronic, moderately lowered IIS rescues age-related decline in neurotransmission through the Drosophila giant fiber system (GFS), a simple escape response neuronal circuit, by increasing targeting of the gap junctional protein innexin shaking-B to gap junctions (GJs). Endosomal recycling of GJs was also stimulated in cultured human cells when IIS was reduced. Furthermore, increasing the activity of the recycling small guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases) Rab4 or Rab11 was sufficient to maintain GJs upon elevated IIS in cultured human cells and in flies, and to rescue age-related loss of GJs and of GFS function. Lowered IIS thus elevates endosomal recycling of GJs in neurons and other cell types, pointing to a cellular mechanism for therapeutic intervention into aging-related neuronal disorders. Insulin and insulin-like growth factors play an important role in the nervous system development and function. Reduced insulin signaling, however, can improve symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases in different model organisms and protect against age-associated decline in neuronal function extending lifespan. Here, we analyze the effects of genetically attenuated insulin signaling on the escape response pathway in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. This simple neuronal circuit is dominated by electrical synapses composed of the gap junctional shaking-B protein, which allows for the transfer of electrical impulses between cells. Transmission through the circuit is known to slow down with age. We show that this functional decline is prevented by systemic or circuit-specific suppression of insulin signaling due to the preservation of the number of gap junctional proteins in aging animals. Our experiments in a human cell culture system reveal increased membrane targeting of gap junctional proteins via small proteins Rab4 and Rab11 under reduced insulin conditions. We also find that increasing the level of these recycling-mediating proteins in flies preserves the escape response circuit output in old flies and suggests ways of improving the function of neuronal circuits dominated by electrical synapses during aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hrvoje Augustin
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Aging, Köln, Germany
- Institute of Healthy Aging, and Genetics, Evolution, and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kieran McGourty
- Department of Structural and Molecular Biology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marcus J. Allen
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom
| | - Sirisha Kudumala Madem
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Adcott
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Aging, Köln, Germany
- Institute of Healthy Aging, and Genetics, Evolution, and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Fiona Kerr
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Aging, Köln, Germany
- Institute of Healthy Aging, and Genetics, Evolution, and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Chi Tung Wong
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Aging, Köln, Germany
| | - Alec Vincent
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Aging, Köln, Germany
| | - Tanja Godenschwege
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
| | - Emmanuel Boucrot
- Department of Structural and Molecular Biology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Linda Partridge
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Aging, Köln, Germany
- Institute of Healthy Aging, and Genetics, Evolution, and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Guillermin ML, Carrillo MA, Hallem EA. A Single Set of Interneurons Drives Opposite Behaviors in C. elegans. Curr Biol 2017; 27:2630-2639.e6. [PMID: 28823678 PMCID: PMC6193758 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Revised: 06/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Many chemosensory stimuli evoke innate behavioral responses that can be either appetitive or aversive, depending on an animal's age, prior experience, nutritional status, and environment [1-9]. However, the circuit mechanisms that enable these valence changes are poorly understood. Here, we show that Caenorhabditis elegans can alternate between attractive or aversive responses to carbon dioxide (CO2), depending on its recently experienced CO2 environment. Both responses are mediated by a single pathway of interneurons. The CO2-evoked activity of these interneurons is subject to extreme experience-dependent modulation, enabling them to drive opposite behavioral responses to CO2. Other interneurons in the circuit regulate behavioral sensitivity to CO2 independent of valence. A combinatorial code of neuropeptides acts on the circuit to regulate both valence and sensitivity. Chemosensory valence-encoding interneurons exist across phyla, and valence is typically determined by whether appetitive or aversive interneuron populations are activated. Our results reveal an alternative mechanism of valence determination in which the same interneurons contribute to both attractive and aversive responses through modulation of sensory neuron to interneuron synapses. This circuit design represents a previously unrecognized mechanism for generating rapid changes in innate chemosensory valence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon L Guillermin
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Mayra A Carrillo
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Elissa A Hallem
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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Paulick A, Jakovljevic V, Zhang S, Erickstad M, Groisman A, Meir Y, Ryu WS, Wingreen NS, Sourjik V. Mechanism of bidirectional thermotaxis in Escherichia coli. eLife 2017; 6:26607. [PMID: 28826491 PMCID: PMC5578741 DOI: 10.7554/elife.26607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In bacteria various tactic responses are mediated by the same cellular pathway, but sensing of physical stimuli remains poorly understood. Here, we combine an in-vivo analysis of the pathway activity with a microfluidic taxis assay and mathematical modeling to investigate the thermotactic response of Escherichia coli. We show that in the absence of chemical attractants E. coli exhibits a steady thermophilic response, the magnitude of which decreases at higher temperatures. Adaptation of wild-type cells to high levels of chemoattractants sensed by only one of the major chemoreceptors leads to inversion of the thermotactic response at intermediate temperatures and bidirectional cell accumulation in a thermal gradient. A mathematical model can explain this behavior based on the saturation-dependent kinetics of adaptive receptor methylation. Lastly, we find that the preferred accumulation temperature corresponds to optimal growth in the presence of the chemoattractant serine, pointing to a physiological relevance of the observed thermotactic behavior. Many bacteria can move towards or away from chemicals, heat and other stimuli in their environment. The ability of bacteria to move in response to nutrients and other chemicals, known as chemotaxis, is the best understood of these phenomena. Bacteria generally swim in a fairly random way and frequently change direction. During chemotaxis, however, the bacteria sense changes in the concentrations of a chemical in their surroundings and this biases the direction in which they swim so that they spend more time swimming towards or away from the source of the chemical. The bacteria have various receptor proteins that can detect different chemicals. For example, the Tar and Tsr receptors can recognize chemicals called aspartate and serine, respectively, which are – amongst other things – nutrients that are used to build proteins. Tar and Tsr are also involved in the response to temperature, referred to as thermotaxis. At low temperatures, a bacterium Escherichia coli will move towards sources of heat. Yet when the bacteria detect both serine and aspartate they may reverse the response and move towards colder areas instead. However, it was not clear why the bacteria do this, and what roles Tar and Tsr play in this response. Paulick et al. have now combined approaches that directly visualise signalling inside living bacteria and that track the movements of individual bacterial cellswith mathematical modelling to investigate thermotaxis in E. coli. The experiments show that the bacteria’s behaviour could be explained by interplay between the responses mediated by Tar and Tsr. In the absence of both serine and aspartate, both receptors stimulate heat-seeking responses, causing the bacteria to move towards hotter areas. When only aspartate is present, Tsr continues to stimulate the heat-seeking response, but the aspartate causes Tar to switch to promoting a cold-seeking response instead. This leads to the bacteria accumulating in areas of intermediate temperature. In the presence of serine only, the bacteria behave in a similar way because the receptors swap roles so that Tsr stimulates the cold-seeking response, while Tar promotes the heat-seeking one. The intermediate temperature at which the bacteria accumulate in response to serine is also around the optimal temperature for E.coli growth in presence of this chemical, suggesting that thermotaxis might play an important role in allowing bacteria to survive and grow in many different environments, including in the human body. Thus, understanding how chemotaxis and thermotaxis are regulated may lead to new ways to control how bacteria behave in patients and natural environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Paulick
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology and LOEWE Research Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | | | - SiMing Zhang
- Department of Physics and Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Michael Erickstad
- Departments of Physics, University of California, San Diego, United States
| | - Alex Groisman
- Departments of Physics, University of California, San Diego, United States
| | - Yigal Meir
- Department of Physics, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - William S Ryu
- Department of Physics and Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Ned S Wingreen
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
| | - Victor Sourjik
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology and LOEWE Research Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Marburg, Germany.,Zentrum für Molekulare Biologie der Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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Kanazawa M, Nanri T, Saigusa M. Anhydrobiosis Affects Thermal Habituation in the Bdelloid Rotifer, Adineta sp. Zoolog Sci 2017; 34:81-85. [DOI: 10.2108/zs160057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mai Kanazawa
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Okayama University, Tsushima 3-1-1, Okayama-Kitaku 700-8530, Japan
| | - Takahiro Nanri
- Section of Research and Education, The Biosphere Project (Non-Profit Organization), Tsushima-Fukui 1-8-71, Okayama-Kitaku 700-0080, Japan
| | - Masayuki Saigusa
- Section of Research and Education, The Biosphere Project (Non-Profit Organization), Tsushima-Fukui 1-8-71, Okayama-Kitaku 700-0080, Japan
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Abergel R, Livshits L, Shaked M, Chatterjee AK, Gross E. Synergism between soluble guanylate cyclase signaling and neuropeptides extends lifespan in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Aging Cell 2017; 16:401-413. [PMID: 28054425 PMCID: PMC5334569 DOI: 10.1111/acel.12569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxygen (O2) homeostasis is important for all aerobic animals. However, the manner by which O2 sensing and homeostasis contribute to lifespan regulation is poorly understood. Here, we use the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to address this question. We demonstrate that a loss‐of‐function mutation in the neuropeptide receptor gene npr‐1 and a deletion mutation in the atypical soluble guanylate cyclase gcy‐35 O2 sensor interact synergistically to extend worm lifespan. The function of npr‐1 and gcy‐35 in the O2‐sensing neurons AQR, PQR, and URX shortens the lifespan of the worm. By contrast, the activity of the atypical soluble guanylate cyclase O2 sensor gcy‐33 in these neurons is crucial for lifespan extension. In addition to AQR, PQR, and URX, we show that the O2‐sensing neuron BAG and the interneuron RIA are also important for the lifespan lengthening. Neuropeptide processing by the proprotein convertase EGL‐3 is essential for lifespan extension, suggesting that the synergistic effect of joint loss of function of gcy‐35 and npr‐1 is mediated through neuropeptide signal transduction. The extended lifespan is regulated by hypoxia and insulin signaling pathways, mediated by the transcription factors HIF‐1 and DAF‐16. Moreover, reactive oxygen species (ROS) appear to play an important function in lifespan lengthening. As HIF‐1 and DAF‐16 activities are modulated by ROS, we speculate that joint loss of function of gcy‐35 and npr‐1 extends lifespan through ROS signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Abergel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; IMRIC; Faculty of Medicine; The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Ein Kerem. P.O. Box 12271 Jerusalem 9112102 Israel
| | - Leonid Livshits
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; IMRIC; Faculty of Medicine; The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Ein Kerem. P.O. Box 12271 Jerusalem 9112102 Israel
| | - Maayan Shaked
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; IMRIC; Faculty of Medicine; The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Ein Kerem. P.O. Box 12271 Jerusalem 9112102 Israel
| | - Arijit Kumar Chatterjee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; IMRIC; Faculty of Medicine; The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Ein Kerem. P.O. Box 12271 Jerusalem 9112102 Israel
| | - Einav Gross
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; IMRIC; Faculty of Medicine; The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Ein Kerem. P.O. Box 12271 Jerusalem 9112102 Israel
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30
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Lightfoot JW, Wilecki M, Okumura M, Sommer RJ. Assaying Predatory Feeding Behaviors in Pristionchus and Other Nematodes. J Vis Exp 2016. [PMID: 27684744 PMCID: PMC5091989 DOI: 10.3791/54404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
This protocol provides multiple methods for the analysis and quantification of predatory feeding behaviors in nematodes. Many nematode species including Pristionchus pacificus display complex behaviors, the most striking of which is the predation of other nematode larvae. However, as these behaviors are absent in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, they have thus far only recently been described in detail along with the development of reliable behavioral assays 1. These predatory behaviors are dependent upon phenotypically plastic but fixed mouth morphs making the correct identification and categorization of these animals essential. In P. pacificus there are two mouth types, the stenostomatous and eurystomatous morphs 2, with only the wide mouthed eurystomatous containing an extra tooth and being capable of killing other nematode larvae. Through the isolation of an abundance of size matched prey larvae and subsequent exposure to predatory nematodes, assays including both "corpse assays" and "bite assays" on correctly identified mouth morph nematodes are possible. These assays provide a means to rapidly quantify predation success rates and provide a detailed behavioral analysis of individual nematodes engaged in predatory feeding activities. In addition, with the use of a high-speed camera, visualization of changes in pharyngeal activity including tooth and pumping dynamics are also possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- James W Lightfoot
- Department for Evolutionary Biology, Max-Planck Institute for Developmental Biology
| | - Martin Wilecki
- Department for Evolutionary Biology, Max-Planck Institute for Developmental Biology
| | - Misako Okumura
- Department for Evolutionary Biology, Max-Planck Institute for Developmental Biology
| | - Ralf J Sommer
- Department for Evolutionary Biology, Max-Planck Institute for Developmental Biology;
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31
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Clint E, Fessler DMT. INSURMOUNTABLE HEAT: THE EVOLUTION AND PERSISTENCE OF DEFENSIVE HYPERTHERMIA. QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY 2016; 91:25-46. [PMID: 27192778 DOI: 10.1086/685302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Fever, the rise in body temperature set point in response to infection or injury, is a highly conserved trait among vertebrates, and documented in many arthropods. Fever is known to reduce illness duration and mortality. These observations present an evolutionary puzzle: why has fever continued to be an effective response to fast-evolving pathogenic microbes across diverse phyla, and probably over countless millions of years? Framing fever as part of a more general thermal manipulation strategy that we term defensive hyperthermia, we hypothesize that the solution lies in the independent contributions to pathogen fitness played by virulence and infectivity. A host organism deploying defensive hyperthermia alters the ecological environment of an invading pathogen. To the extent that the pathogen evolves to be able to function effectively at elevated temperatures, it disadvantages itself at infecting the next (thermonormative) host, becoming more likely to be thwarted by that host's immune system and outcompeted by wild ecotype conspecifics (a genetically distinct strain adapted to specific environmental conditions) that, although more vulnerable to elevated temperatures, operate more effectively at the host's normal temperature. We evaluate this hypothesis in light of existing evidence concerning pathogen thermal specialization, and discuss theoretical and translational implications of this model.
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32
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Zhu Y, Ma B, Nussinov R, Zhang Q. Temperature-Dependent Conformational Properties of Human Neuronal Calcium Sensor-1 Protein Revealed by All-Atom Simulations. J Phys Chem B 2016; 120:3551-9. [PMID: 27007011 PMCID: PMC6415918 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b12299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Neuronal calcium sensor-1 (NCS-1) protein has orthologues from Saccharomyces cerevisiae to human with highly conserved amino acid sequences. NCS-1 is an important factor controlling the animal's response to temperature change. This leads us to investigate the temperature effects on the conformational dynamics of human NCS-1 at 310 and 316 K by all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and dynamic community network analysis. Four independent 500 ns MD simulations show that secondary structure content at 316 K is similar to that at 310 K, whereas the global protein structure is expanded. Loop 3 (L3) adopts an extended state occuping the hydrophobic crevice, and the number of suboptimal communication paths between residue D176 and V190 is reduced at 316 K. The dynamic community network analysis suggests that the interdomain correlation is weakened, and the intradomain coupling is strengthened at 316 K. The elevated temperature reduces the number of the salt bridges, especially in C-domain. This study suggests that the elevated temperature affects the conformational dynamics of human NCS-1 protein. Comparison of the structural dynamics of R102Q mutant and Δ176-190 truncated NCS-1 suggests that the structural and dynamical response of NCS-1 protein to elevated temperature may be one of its intrinsic functional properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhen Zhu
- College of Physical Education and Training, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Chang Hai Road, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Buyong Ma
- Basic Science Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc. Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Ruth Nussinov
- Basic Science Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc. Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
- Sackler Inst. of Molecular Medicine Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Qingwen Zhang
- College of Physical Education and Training, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Chang Hai Road, Shanghai, 200438, China
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33
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Sweeney G, Song J. The association between PGC-1α and Alzheimer's disease. Anat Cell Biol 2016; 49:1-6. [PMID: 27051562 PMCID: PMC4819073 DOI: 10.5115/acb.2016.49.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2015] [Accepted: 11/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder and its reported pathophysiological features in the brain include the deposition of amyloid beta peptide, chronic inflammation, and cognitive impairment. The incidence of AD is increasing worldwide and researchers have studied various aspects of AD pathophysiology in order to improve our understanding of the disease. Thus far, the onset mechanisms and means of preventing AD are completely unknown. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator (PGC-1α) is a protein related to various cellular mechanisms that lead to the alteration of downstream gene regulation. It has been reported that PGC-1α could protect cells against oxidative stress and reduce mitochondrial dysfunction. Moreover, it has been demonstrated to have a regulatory role in inflammatory signaling and insulin sensitivity related to cognitive function. Here, we present further evidence of the involvement of PGC-1α in AD pathogenesis. Clarifying the relationship between PGC-1α and AD pathology might highlight PGC-1α as a possible target for therapeutic intervention in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary Sweeney
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Juhyun Song
- Department of Anatomy, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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34
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Kingsbury TJ. Navigating toward an Understanding of the Role of Regulator of Calcineurin in Thermotaxis. J Mol Biol 2015; 427:3453-3456. [PMID: 26388410 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2015.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tami J Kingsbury
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201-1559, USA.
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35
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Kato S, Kaplan HS, Schrödel T, Skora S, Lindsay TH, Yemini E, Lockery S, Zimmer M. Global brain dynamics embed the motor command sequence of Caenorhabditis elegans. Cell 2015; 163:656-69. [PMID: 26478179 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.09.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 264] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2015] [Revised: 08/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
While isolated motor actions can be correlated with activities of neuronal networks, an unresolved problem is how the brain assembles these activities into organized behaviors like action sequences. Using brain-wide calcium imaging in Caenorhabditis elegans, we show that a large proportion of neurons across the brain share information by engaging in coordinated, dynamical network activity. This brain state evolves on a cycle, each segment of which recruits the activities of different neuronal sub-populations and can be explicitly mapped, on a single trial basis, to the animals' major motor commands. This organization defines the assembly of motor commands into a string of run-and-turn action sequence cycles, including decisions between alternative behaviors. These dynamics serve as a robust scaffold for action selection in response to sensory input. This study shows that the coordination of neuronal activity patterns into global brain dynamics underlies the high-level organization of behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saul Kato
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology IMP, Vienna Biocenter VBC, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 7, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Harris S Kaplan
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology IMP, Vienna Biocenter VBC, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 7, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Tina Schrödel
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology IMP, Vienna Biocenter VBC, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 7, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Susanne Skora
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology IMP, Vienna Biocenter VBC, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 7, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Eviatar Yemini
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Shawn Lockery
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Manuel Zimmer
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology IMP, Vienna Biocenter VBC, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 7, 1030 Vienna, Austria.
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36
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Lieke T, Steinberg CEW, Ju J, Saul N. Natural Marine and Synthetic Xenobiotics Get on Nematode's Nerves: Neuro-Stimulating and Neurotoxic Findings in Caenorhabditis elegans. Mar Drugs 2015; 13:2785-812. [PMID: 25955755 PMCID: PMC4446606 DOI: 10.3390/md13052785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2015] [Revised: 04/15/2015] [Accepted: 04/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine algae release a plethora of organic halogenated compounds, many of them with unknown ecological impact if environmentally realistic concentrations are applied. One major compound is dibromoacetic acid (DBAA) which was tested for neurotoxicity in the invertebrate model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). This natural compound was compared with the widespread synthetic xenobiotic tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBP-A) found in marine sediments and mussels. We found a neuro-stimulating effect for DBAA; this is contradictory to existing toxicological reports of mammals that applied comparatively high dosages. For TBBP-A, we found a hormetic concentration-effect relationship. As chemicals rarely occur isolated in the environment, a combination of both organobromines was also examined. Surprisingly, the presence of DBAA increased the toxicity of TBBP-A. Our results demonstrated that organohalogens have the potential to affect single organisms especially by altering the neurological processes, even with promoting effects on exposed organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thora Lieke
- Department of Biology, Freshwater and Stress Ecology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Späthstr. 80/81, 12437 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Christian E W Steinberg
- Department of Biology, Freshwater and Stress Ecology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Späthstr. 80/81, 12437 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Jingjuan Ju
- Department of Biology, Freshwater and Stress Ecology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Späthstr. 80/81, 12437 Berlin, Germany.
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Nadine Saul
- Department of Biology, Freshwater and Stress Ecology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Späthstr. 80/81, 12437 Berlin, Germany.
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37
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Winbush A, Gruner M, Hennig GW, van der Linden AM. Long-term imaging of circadian locomotor rhythms of a freely crawling C. elegans population. J Neurosci Methods 2015; 249:66-74. [PMID: 25911068 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2015.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2015] [Revised: 04/04/2015] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Locomotor activity is used extensively as a behavioral output to study the underpinnings of circadian rhythms. Recent studies have required a populational approach for the study of circadian rhythmicity in Caenorhabditis elegans locomotion. NEW METHOD We describe an imaging system for long-term automated recording and analysis of locomotion data of multiple free-crawling C. elegans animals on the surface of an agar plate. We devised image analysis tools for measuring specific features related to movement and shape to identify circadian patterns. RESULTS We demonstrate the utility of our system by quantifying circadian locomotor rhythms in wild-type and mutant animals induced by temperature cycles. We show that 13 °C:18 °C (12:12h) cycles are sufficient to entrain locomotor activity of wild-type animals, which persist but are rapidly damped during 13 °C free-running conditions. Animals with mutations in tax-2, a cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) ion channel, significantly reduce locomotor activity during entrainment and free-running. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD(S) Current methods for measuring circadian locomotor activity is generally restricted to recording individual swimming animals of C. elegans, which is a distinct form of locomotion from crawling behavior generally observed in the laboratory. Our system works well with up to 20 crawling adult animals, and allows for a detailed analysis of locomotor activity over long periods of time. CONCLUSIONS Our population-based approach provides a powerful tool for quantification of circadian rhythmicity of C. elegans locomotion, and could allow for a screening system of candidate circadian genes in this model organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ari Winbush
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
| | - Matthew Gruner
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
| | - Grant W Hennig
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada, School of Medicine, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
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Luo J, Xu Z, Tan Z, Zhang Z, Ma L. Neuropeptide receptors NPR-1 and NPR-2 regulate Caenorhabditis elegans avoidance response to the plant stress hormone methyl salicylate. Genetics 2015; 199:523-31. [PMID: 25527285 PMCID: PMC4317659 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.114.172239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2014] [Accepted: 12/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Methyl salicylate (MeSa) is a stress hormone released by plants under attack by pathogens or herbivores . MeSa has been shown to attract predatory insects of herbivores and repel pests. The molecules and neurons underlying animal response to MeSa are not known. Here we found that the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans exhibits a strong avoidance response to MeSa, which requires the activities of two closely related neuropeptide receptors NPR-1 and NPR-2. Molecular analyses suggest that NPR-1 expressed in the RMG inter/motor neurons is required for MeSa avoidance. An NPR-1 ligand FLP-18 is also required. Using a rescuing npr-2 promoter to drive a GFP transgene, we identified that NPR-2 is expressed in multiple sensory and interneurons. Genetic rescue experiments suggest that NPR-2 expressed in the AIZ interneurons is required for MeSa avoidance. We also provide evidence that the AWB sensory neurons might act upstream of RMGs and AIZs to detect MeSa. Our results suggest that NPR-2 has an important role in regulating animal behavior and that NPR-1 and NPR-2 act on distinct interneurons to affect C. elegans avoidance response to MeSa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jintao Luo
- The State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences
| | - Zhaofa Xu
- The State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences
| | - Zhiping Tan
- Clinical Center for Gene Diagnosis and Therapy of the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China, 410008
| | - Zhuohua Zhang
- The State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences
| | - Long Ma
- The State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences
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Aprison EZ, Ruvinsky I. Balanced trade-offs between alternative strategies shape the response of C. elegans reproduction to chronic heat stress. PLoS One 2014; 9:e105513. [PMID: 25165831 PMCID: PMC4148340 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2014] [Accepted: 07/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
To ensure long-term reproductive success organisms have to cope with harsh environmental extremes. A reproductive strategy that simply maximizes offspring production is likely to be disadvantageous because it could lead to a catastrophic loss of fecundity under unfavorable conditions. To understand how an appropriate balance is achieved, we investigated reproductive performance of C. elegans under conditions of chronic heat stress. We found that following even prolonged exposure to temperatures at which none of the offspring survive, worms could recover and resume reproduction. The likelihood of producing viable offspring falls precipitously after exposure to temperatures greater than 28°C primarily due to sperm damage. Surprisingly, we found that worms that experienced higher temperatures can recover considerably better, provided they did not initiate ovulation. Therefore mechanisms controlling this process must play a crucial role in determining the probability of recovery. We show, however, that suppressing ovulation is only beneficial under relatively long stresses, whereas it is a disadvantageous strategy under shorter stresses of the same intensity. This is because the benefit of shutting down egg laying, and thus protecting the reproductive system, is negated by the cost associated with implementing this strategy--it takes considerable time to recover and produce offspring. We interpret these balanced trade-offs as a dynamic response of the C. elegans reproductive system to stress and an adaptation to life in variable and unpredictable conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Z. Aprison
- Department of Ecology and Evolution and Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Ilya Ruvinsky
- Department of Ecology and Evolution and Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
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Gkikas I, Petratou D, Tavernarakis N. Longevity pathways and memory aging. Front Genet 2014; 5:155. [PMID: 24926313 PMCID: PMC4044971 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2014.00155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2014] [Accepted: 05/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The aging process has been associated with numerous pathologies at the cellular, tissue, and organ level. Decline or loss of brain functions, including learning and memory, is one of the most devastating and feared aspects of aging. Learning and memory are fundamental processes by which animals adjust to environmental changes, evaluate various sensory signals based on context and experience, and make decisions to generate adaptive behaviors. Age-related memory impairment is an important phenotype of brain aging. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying age-related memory impairment is crucial for the development of therapeutic strategies that may eventually lead to the development of drugs to combat memory loss. Studies in invertebrate animal models have taught us much about the physiology of aging and its effects on learning and memory. In this review we survey recent progress relevant to conserved molecular pathways implicated in both aging and memory formation and consolidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilias Gkikas
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion Crete, Greece
| | - Dionysia Petratou
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion Crete, Greece
| | - Nektarios Tavernarakis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion Crete, Greece ; Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion Crete, Greece
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Bidirectional thermotaxis in Caenorhabditis elegans is mediated by distinct sensorimotor strategies driven by the AFD thermosensory neurons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:2776-81. [PMID: 24550307 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1315205111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans navigates toward a preferred temperature setpoint (Ts) determined by long-term temperature exposure. During thermotaxis, the worm migrates down temperature gradients at temperatures above Ts (negative thermotaxis) and performs isothermal tracking near Ts. Under some conditions, the worm migrates up temperature gradients below Ts (positive thermotaxis). Here, we analyze positive and negative thermotaxis toward Ts to study the role of specific neurons that have been proposed to be involved in thermotaxis using genetic ablation, behavioral tracking, and calcium imaging. We find differences in the strategies for positive and negative thermotaxis. Negative thermotaxis is achieved through biasing the frequency of reorientation maneuvers (turns and reversal turns) and biasing the direction of reorientation maneuvers toward colder temperatures. Positive thermotaxis, in contrast, biases only the direction of reorientation maneuvers toward warmer temperatures. We find that the AFD thermosensory neuron drives both positive and negative thermotaxis. The AIY interneuron, which is postsynaptic to AFD, may mediate the switch from negative to positive thermotaxis below Ts. We propose that multiple thermotactic behaviors, each defined by a distinct set of sensorimotor transformations, emanate from the AFD thermosensory neurons. AFD learns and stores the memory of preferred temperatures, detects temperature gradients, and drives the appropriate thermotactic behavior in each temperature regime by the flexible use of downstream circuits.
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Sasakura H, Tsukada Y, Takagi S, Mori I. Japanese studies on neural circuits and behavior of Caenorhabditis elegans. Front Neural Circuits 2013; 7:187. [PMID: 24348340 PMCID: PMC3842693 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2013.00187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2013] [Accepted: 11/03/2013] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is an ideal organism for studying neural plasticity and animal behaviors. A total of 302 neurons of a C. elegans hermaphrodite have been classified into 118 neuronal groups. This simple neural circuit provides a solid basis for understanding the mechanisms of the brains of higher animals, including humans. Recent studies that employ modern imaging and manipulation techniques enable researchers to study the dynamic properties of nervous systems with great precision. Behavioral and molecular genetic analyses of this tiny animal have contributed greatly to the advancement of neural circuit research. Here, we will review the recent studies on the neural circuits of C. elegans that have been conducted in Japan. Several laboratories have established unique and clever methods to study the underlying neuronal substrates of behavioral regulation in C. elegans. The technological advances applied to studies of C. elegans have allowed new approaches for the studies of complex neural systems. Through reviewing the studies on the neuronal circuits of C. elegans in Japan, we will analyze and discuss the directions of neural circuit studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Sasakura
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Division of Biological Science, Nagoya University Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yuki Tsukada
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Division of Biological Science, Nagoya University Nagoya, Japan
| | - Shin Takagi
- Laboratory of Brain Function and Structure, Division of Biological Science, Nagoya University Nagoya, Japan
| | - Ikue Mori
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Division of Biological Science, Nagoya University Nagoya, Japan
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Ohta A, Kuhara A. Molecular mechanism for trimetric G protein-coupled thermosensation and synaptic regulation in the temperature response circuit of Caenorhabditis elegans. Neurosci Res 2013; 76:119-24. [PMID: 23542220 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2013.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2012] [Revised: 03/01/2013] [Accepted: 03/08/2013] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
How the nervous system controls the sensation and memory of information from the environment is an essential question. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a useful model for elucidating neural information processing that mediates sensation and memory. The entire nervous system of C. elegans consists of only 302 neurons, and their wiring diagram has been revealed by electron microscopy analysis. Here, we review the molecular and physiological mechanisms responsible for the neural circuit-mediated temperature-seeking behavior (thermotaxis) in C. elegans. Recent molecular biology studies and optogenetic analyses, such as the optical manipulation of neural activity, and neural imaging have revealed the novel concept of neural calculation. Most significantly, trimetric G proteincoupled thermosensation, single sensory neuron-based memory, and the orchestrated synaptic transmission system have been elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akane Ohta
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Konan University, Kobe 658-8501, Japan
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Behavioral plasticity, learning, and memory in C. elegans. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2013; 23:92-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2012.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2012] [Revised: 08/31/2012] [Accepted: 09/17/2012] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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