« Previous AbstractA responsive MOF nanocomposite for decoding volatile organic compounds    Next AbstractTryptophan Metabolism in Caenorhabditis elegans Links Aggregation Behavior to Nutritional Status »

Genetics

Title:		Potential Nematode Alarm Pheromone Induces Acute Avoidance in Caenorhabditis elegans
Author(s):		Zhou Y; Loeza-Cabrera M; Liu Z; Aleman-Meza B; Nguyen JK; Jung SK; Choi Y; Shou Q; Butcher RA; Zhong W;
Address:		"Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005. Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611. Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005 weiwei.zhong@rice.edu"
Journal Title:		Genetics
Year:		2017
Volume:		20170511
Issue:		3
Page Number:		1469 - 1478
DOI:		10.1534/genetics.116.197293
ISSN/ISBN:		1943-2631 (Electronic) 0016-6731 (Print) 0016-6731 (Linking)
Abstract:		"It is crucial for animal survival to detect dangers such as predators. A good indicator of dangers is injury of conspecifics. Here we show that fluids released from injured conspecifics invoke acute avoidance in both free-living and parasitic nematodes. Caenorhabditis elegans avoids extracts from closely related nematode species but not fruit fly larvae. The worm extracts have no impact on animal lifespan, suggesting that the worm extract may function as an alarm instead of inflicting physical harm. Avoidance of the worm extract requires the function of a cGMP signaling pathway that includes the cGMP-gated channel TAX-2/TAX-4 in the amphid sensory neurons ASI and ASK. Genetic evidence indicates that the avoidance behavior is modulated by the neurotransmitters GABA and serotonin, two common targets of anxiolytic drugs. Together, these data support a model that nematodes use a nematode-specific alarm pheromone to detect conspecific injury"
Keywords:		Animals Caenorhabditis elegans/drug effects/genetics/*metabolism/physiology Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins/genetics/metabolism *Chemotaxis *Escape Reaction Ion Channels/genetics/metabolism Pheromones/*metabolism/pharmacology Sensory Receptor Cells/metabo;
Notes:		"MedlineZhou, Ying Loeza-Cabrera, Mario Liu, Zheng Aleman-Meza, Boanerges Nguyen, Julie K Jung, Sang-Kyu Choi, Yuna Shou, Qingyao Butcher, Rebecca A Zhong, Weiwei eng K99 HG004724/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/ P40 OD010440/OD/NIH HHS/ R00 HG004724/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/ R01 DA018341/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/ Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. 2017/05/13 Genetics. 2017 Jul; 206(3):1469-1478. doi: 10.1534/genetics.116.197293. Epub 2017 May 11"